Believe
by Frailty Collapse
Summary: A jaded ex-homicide detective gone rogue as a private eye. The young, naive protector of the capital trying to make it in the streets of Tokyo. This is the story of their meeting, and the conception of their partnership. Modern AU, Graphic Violence, BL
1. Chapter 1

It was the sort of night where many would rather stay in than be out and about. Not because of the day, a Friday in mid-March, or the weather, warm and clear in contrast to the usual chilly the spring would bring about. It wasn't the usual crowds hurrying about the Shinjuku-ward, those were a welcome distraction in comparison to the blinding lights and loud music blaring from the nightlife, the norm during the weekends. No, it was something else entirely, something that hung in the air, crept at your bones, giving you that _eerie_ feeling that _something_ was going to happen. The feeling you got when you walked into your flat after a long night of partying to see your girl sitting on the couch waiting. You just _know_ something bad was going to go down, and you were not able to stop it.

Or it could have been the oncoming storm, as many would suspect. The aura of dread hanging over the city did little to keep the young folk off the streets, many feeling the static on their skin and finding it exhilarating, yet another vibe to feed off of. Ah, to be young, naive, and horrifically impressionable.

In spite of the dark feeling surrounding the city, the windows of the Ginrou-kaku building were cracked, allowing the muggy air to clear out the musty smelling work-living space. The building was old, coming up at 90 years pretty soon, with few renovations to affect the interior. In the past this was the place to be, the hottest little pad in town, with offices and small families chomping at the bit to get their space in the most modern place in town. But now it had fallen by the wayside, the management pouring little of the much allotted rent into repairs, leaving it to the tenants to take care of. Many thought to complain, but to some residents, it was just another thing to get you up in the morning.

One of such residents was a man in his early thirties, tall and a bit on the thin side, brown locks framing his face and sharp eyes. He perpetually smelled of cigarettes, a habit he had been trying to kick, but as the overflowing ashtray on his lacquered desk clearly showed any patch or pill he had tried was completely ineffective.

His particular apartment was a floor-spanning home office; the plate on the door had "Narumi Detective Agency" painted neatly upon it. A regular old gumshoe, a rare sight in this day and age where the police were out full force at the slightest sign of trouble. Yet perhaps that was is why private detectives still thrived in the inner depths of the city, appearing to solve the more seedier cases. Questionable disappearances the police had given up on, victims of wrongful accusation, and on rare occasions, murder...

Or at least that was what Narumi Shouhei _wished_ he was privy to. No, his everyday batch of cases were those of adulterous spouses and stolen goods, not anything so gritty and glamorous as he would like. Ah, yes, the days of good ol' detective work were gone, being replaced by specialists with fancy science degrees, text book theories, and lab equipment. Not an ounce of creativity, nor any sort of skill went into it. Everything was by the book, and if it could not be done by the book, it ran cold. That was why he was there, solving problems using nothing but the tools before him, logic, and good ol' fashion investigational work. At times he would be of use with more bizarre crimes, labeled as a "specialist" of his own; for unusual cases, those the cops had given up on. Supernatural incidents, if you would, though his reasoning for taking up such capers was a secret he would not divulge to anyone.

But such cases didn't fall into his lap, the police generally giving the victims answers they want to hear, or the victims accepting the information without a second thought. It's only when they question the answers given them do they appear at his doorstep.

Thus, to continue paying for his third floor office apartment, Narumi continued to take minor and mundane cases, much to his chagrin.

At that present time, Narumi sat hunched at his desk, lazily browsing various blogging and news sites out of pure boredom. A thin plume of smoke rose up from the cigarette neatly pressed between two dry lips, a frown burrowing the man's neatly trimmed eyebrows. How long had he been scrolling through the same website waiting for something of interest to happen? But nothing came of it; it was Friday night after all. Any blogger would be out collecting their latest scoop, not stuck indoors typing up an article for other homebodies to be reading. The night was young, anything could happen!

With a frustrated groan, Narumi wished "anything" would happen to him.

A distant siren perked his ears as he hit refresh again on the website, the promise of something big dangling just out of reach. Sirens were not that uncommon; this was a heavily policed area with all the gang activity, but one siren soon lead to three, then more. _Maybe,_ he thought,_ just maybe the night will get interesting..._

Yet soon, he sirens died off, bringing Narumi's hopes along with them. It was to be expected; one should not get their hopes up over such silly thing. For all he knew it was just another fight at the Pachinko parlor, those were common enough these days. Depravity itself was common, he knew, but such was the way of humanity.

But as he had finally given up on anything noteworthy appearing on his screen, a jazzy tune began emanating from his desk drawer, the old oak rattling with the vibrations. Narumi tugged the apparatus open, revealing his beaten up cell phone, the touch display reading "Futsuo".

Strange, he hadn't heard from Futsuo since...

A simple thumb press connected the call, and Narumi held it to his ear to answer. "This is Narumi." He said gruffly, reaching for a fresh cigarette out of the drawer.

"Oi, Shouhei, how are you?" The background noise was tremendous, so much that the man could hardly make out what his caller was saying, "Are you free right now?"

Narumi took his favorite zippo lighter and caught the end of his cigarette, "Depends what you mean by 'busy'."

"Are you on a case or are you surfing the net." Blunt, as usual. Futsuo knew him well; they worked together before, at his previous job.

With rolling eyes the man switched his phone from a hand to wedged between his shoulder and ear, "What do you want, Futsuo?"

"I got a job for you. Crime scene down near the canal. Can you hear the sirens? There's about seven cars out now."

A crime scene, this could be just the case he was looking for. But to have a police officer calling him in and not a private client could mean a number of things, and a vast majority of them involved things Narumi was not ready to get into. Namely confessing to a false crime. "I've got a solid alibi, you can't take me."

"What? Shouhei, that's not what I mean. I..." there was the faint noise of shuffling cloth and skin against the speaker of the phone, "There's been a homicide, a few actually, and I need your help."

So that was it, he was being called in to check out a murder scene? "Futsuo, I told you, I'm not a cop anymore. Call Waruo or something, he's your partner, right?"

"If Waruo and I had the expertise for this kind of thing, I wouldn't be calling you against my boss's orders."

Now he was wary; cooperating with outside agents without consent from your superiors was a fireable offense, and to have the straight-laced by-the-book Futsuo be purposefully breaking those regulations was a feat in itself. Narumi expected such out of Waruo, but not this green bean of an officer. "And... why may I ask do you need a gumshoe to help you?"

"I don't _need_ a gumshoe." The man sighed, sounding more his age than before. The kid was a good deal younger than him, at least ten years, but his occupation was aging him quickly. "I need you."

Narumi couldn't help but snort at the idea; "Whoa, kid, easy there. I don't kiss after the first date."

"Will you knock it off?" Agitated, the young officer had to take a second to calm himself. "When we got into the room, it reeked of blood, rotting flesh and..." he paused once more, as if the next bit of information was either immensely important and required a build-up of suspense, or was so unsettling that a homicide unit officer couldn't fathom it. "...rotting eggs."

The detective's eyes widened in realization. _Sulfur._

"...Where are you?"

"The canal in front of the old docks, the poor housing? Just follow the sirens." Futsuo sounded a little relieved, but nervous at the same time. Narumi paid it little mind.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes. Don't touch anything."

The poor housing was just that; group housing for families who could not afford homes of their own, whether it be for financial hardship, inability to work, or other such disabilities. It wasn't uncommon for crimes involving assault to happen at such locations; this lot in particular was known for a good amount of drug activity. Narumi had made busts there himself a few times. But murder... not so much. Too cramped, not many places to hide, too many witnesses...

"No one saw the attack." A tall, gangly man sporting spiked hair and glasses spoke, digging through his pockets for some smokes. "Futsuo can't find any prints aside from the victims on any entry ways. Apparently, the place was dead-bolted when the police arrived."

Narumi glanced to the taller man, feeling a vague twinge of jealousy about his height in comparison. "So how did they know to call the cops?"

"The woman who had the room-share next to them heard what sounded like a wild beast attacking."

A wild beast? In the middle of Shinjuku? "And did you find any nasties up there?"

"Nothing." The man took a drag on his cigarette, glancing to one side as his partner came up. "Waruo, the chief wants you."

"Tell him I'm busy."

"How about I tell him you're taking a smoke break in the middle of a crime scene?"

The taller man rolled his eyes and tossed the half-burnt stub into the gutter before heading back into the building. The young brunette officer greeted him with a mock salute before motioning for Narumi to follow. "Told the chief you were here, so take a look around but try not to disturb the scene too much."

Narumi whistled, giving the man a snarky grin. "So you told him after all. You've got balls, kid."

The pet-name earned Narumi a hard glare from Futsuo, "Hey _old man_, lay off the kid bit. I've earned my rank!"

This only garnered the flustered officer a snicker and a pat on the back. "You'll always be a kid to me, Futsuo. Get over it."

The two continued their teasing as they made their way up the too-narrow staircase into the dilapidated upper floors of the shared residency. The place was a wreck even before you got into the rooms themselves. Nothing was up to code, but Narumi was sure the price they put on the place kept the tenants from complaining about it. Seeing what squalor these folk were living in, Narumi almost felt grateful for his own dusty office. At least it was bug free. Drug free as well.

A twitchy looking fellow waited for them at the head of the stairs, holding a gown and a pair of waterproof booties, Narumi guessed to keep the scene uncontaminated. He gratefully slipped them on, hoping his outfit wouldn't get ruined; a fine pressed shirt, sleeves rolled just above the elbows, a silk tie, and a new pair of slacks. His jacket remained slung over his arm, the housing unit far too warm for it, and his matching hat left back in the car for the sake of not being lost in the fray of panicked law enforcement agents.

The door to the small flat was broken in, a battering ram placed not far from it. A pool of blood edge from the door jamb into the hallway, foot prints from officers traipsing in and out needlessly only further dragging the crimson around. It was sparsely decorated with a few band posters, a pair of futons still laid out, some A/V equipment, and an open box of drug paraphernalia. But what really caught one's attention was a collection of bones, muscle, and flesh, barely strung together by the ligaments and fatty tissues of whom the people once were. Deep lacerations covered the remaining skin, teeth marks in the bones. Whatever it was that attacked them, they weren't in it for the food, they were out to kill. Something out of a horror movie, a slasher film. Something Junji Ito would drool over, it was so creative looking. But Narumi was not here to admire the work of a madman, he was here to find the creator of such a piece.

"How'd the perp get in and out?" Narumi asked, holding a nose as he carefully stepped over a large pile of intestinal mass, a faint _squish_ beneath his polished loafers being enough to set the officer at the door into another fit of dry heaving. Futsuo stood just outside, casting his fellow officer a dirty look. "We suspect the window... but we're nine stories up, and there's no fire escape on the window, so any intruder would have to jump."

The window in question was on the far wall; a large bay window, probably the only source of light for the room during the day. Big enough for a person to jump through... or a beast. "And the these poor saps?"

"According to the lease, a young couple and their friend." Futsuo finally braved the entryway, narrowly missing a fragment of a skull on the floor. "They were behind on rent, and apparently very deep into narcotics."

"Kept animals?" The detective trudged his way to the wall, grimacing at how dangerously close he was to getting gore on his nice suit. His hands fell over one of the deep claw marks, nearly piercing through the drywall to the other side. "A cougar, maybe?" he snorted.

Futsuo shook his head, "They took in strays, I hear, but that's about it. Nothing like a lion or anything."

That still left the possibility of another such beast though. Above the stench of steadily decaying gore was something he had trained his nose to pick out, the stench of rotting, boiled eggs... Narumi turned his attention to the windowsill and the powdered substance sprinkled atop it. There was no mistaking it. Sulfur, the sure sign of something that was right up his alley. "You guys should clear the bodies out. I'll see what I can do."

Futsuo stepped aside to allow Narumi through, watching as he went. "You'll help us?"

Narumi gave the man a coy smile, "Of course, if your precious chief agrees to my price scale..." At this Futsuo looked like he might gag as well. Knowing Narumi, he'd ask for the highest possible price of the department, and he'd withhold any info until they were desperate enough to agree to his terms. But before the young cop could protest, he was saved by an older, rather weary looking fellow. "No need, Narumi, we've already got an expert coming in." He said sternly, hitching a thumb over his shoulders. "You're free to go."

It was as if Narumi could just see the money flying away from him, "An expert? Who did you call? A zookeeper to corral the lion?"

A vein twitched in the chief's head and it appeared that he might just pop the younger detective in the face. "I mean it, Narumi. Beat it, or I'll have you taken in for disturbing a crime scene."

Narumi had no choice but to raise his hands in defense and make an act of going down the steps to ground level. So much for an epic case to work on. As much as Narumi hated the idea of innocent people being murdered senselessly, the brief idea of being able to investigate such a horrific crime was downright exciting to him. He wasn't sure if he was disturbed by that or not.

Once back on the street, Narumi pulled on his jacket, adjusting the collar as he approached Waruo. "Gotta light?"

Miffed that he wasn't allowed to continue his smoke while on the job, the man reluctantly tossed his pack at Narumi, whom plucked one for himself and lit up. "Looks like butcher's backroom in there."

"You're telling me. I can already see Futsuo having nightmares about this." Waruo said heavily, scrubbing at his hair. Narumi couldn't help but smirk at the comment, "You two still dancing around each other like a couple of jittery schoolgirls, aren't you?"

Oh, the look he got for that... "Narumi, I swear to God..." A warning, and fair enough. For as athletic and strong Narumi was, he wasn't stupid enough to go up against a guy like Waruo. He was a rough and tumble kid, a bit younger than Futsuo, fresh from the academy from what he had heard. But this kind had earned his place through his physical prowess, able to throw just about any man down in two seconds flat. With him paired with Futsuo, the brains, they were well off in their division.

Yet as Waruo continued to grumble about his apparent inability to properly express himself, something caught his eye. A woman, one he recognized only vaguely in the darkness, shrouded in a cloak that covered her head and eyes, exposing only her lips to the world. Next to her stood another shadowy figure, tall and lean with skin that seemed to glint the moonlight above him. He wore what looked like something of a cape and slacks, a hat perched atop his head bearing what looked like a school emblem. He took some time he speak with the woman, before nodding and heading towards the building.

As the boy came into the light Narumi caught a glimpse of him up close. Not only was he pale, he looked nearly white in the harsh ambers of the street lights above. His hair was neatly trimmed, save for a pair of side-burns that stuck at an awkward angle against his angled cheeks. The cap did indeed yield a school emblem, one of Yumizuki, a prestigious secondary in the northern part of the ward. But what really caught Narumi's attention were his eyes; a light, almost unreal gray-blue, staring straight ahead, a man on a mission. Narumi almost couldn't stop staring as he glided past him. In fact, he would have continued and followed the boy inside if he had not been hissed at violently but a cat that was, for some reason or another, perched atop the boy's shoulder. Strange, then again the whole of the situation was strange.

_Is he the specialist they were talking about?_ Narumi wondered. If he was, he looked far too young to have any experience in this sort of thing. Hell, he almost felt bad for them sending someone so _young_ into a scene like that. Poor kid was going to be scarred for life after all this.

"Well, not much I can do about it..." he said out loud, finishing the cigarette and making his way towards his car. _May was well head back and get some sleep, or maybe check that blog again... hm..._

Narumi continued to ponder his next move as his mind slowly drifted away from an infinite expanse of websites picturing fine suits and shoes back to the young cloaked boy, and just how he recognized the woman in black.

_Perhaps soon they'll all fall into place._

Days went by and Narumi made little headway. He had asked around of his own accord, figuring if he could not get hired on the spot, he could at least gather information and act as a broker for the cops. It was a filthy, dishonorable ploy, he felt, but just because the building was old didn't mean he wasn't required to pay rent every month, and wives of adulterous husbands don't often have a lot of cash to throw around. Unless you were an exotic dancer, then they'd magically have some.

The career change came as a humorous fantasy as Narumi once again found himself idly sitting at his desk, computer on the usual site, scrolling through the pages looking for anything good. His Italian leather chair creaked in protest as he leaned back in it, feet propped onto one corner of the oak desk, a cigarette hanging from pursed lips. Boredom was the number one cause of sudden, chronic napping for the man, and internet browsing was the only known cure.

Yet no matter how long he looked, he couldn't find anything that could lead to a clue about the violent crime at the canal. The incident was hardly mentioned on the news. Those involved would contribute it to the absolute bizarreness of the case, how they had no leads, no probable suspects, and no weapon aside from what looked to be some type of animal. Or perhaps it was because regardless of how huge a news story this would be, how they could follow the investigation of such a gruesome tale and raise their ratings, no news station dared publish a story like this. In a day and age where policing of the airwaves was common place, anything that could encourage someone to take up some sort of lewd conduct or perform a violent crime was censored on the spot. A shame, really, Narumi would often think. Sure, shielding the young and impressionable from gory images such as a crime scene was just fine by him, but pulling the wool over their eyes for anything that could even _remotely_ be considered violent or lewd... That would end up creating a problem in itself. Curiosity killed the cat, as they say.

Not that Narumi advocated showing off that level of body debris to anyone who wasn't trained to handle, especially to children.

_Speaking of which..._

For what could have been the eleventh time that day, Narumi's thoughts drifted to the high school student he ran across before. He was young, had to be if he still wore his school emblem, but why was he hired by the cops? And those eyes, cold and unfeeling... no, hiding something. Hiding emotion, fear, grief, maybe... And whom was that woman he was with? Narumi knew he recognized her from a time not far passed. For a week he wracked his brain, trying to find out not only more about the case, but the mysterious pair.

_It's a face I shouldn't have forgotten,_ Narumi scolded himself,_ but I haven't seen her recently, and I for sure have not seen that boy. I wouldn't forget a face like that. Those eyes, that hair, those lips..._

A sudden knock on the door shocked the man from his thoughts. With a yelp the chair tipped backwards, taking Narumi for a ride straight onto the floor with a yelp. He hardly had time to pick himself up off the floor before the door was open, the patter of heeled feet at the door shuffling into house shoes. "Narumi-san, are you here?" A familiar cheerful voice called out to him, followed by more shuffling of feet. A woman came into view, a bit on the short side for her age. Dark cropped hair feathering against his smooth skin, eyes wide with wonder for the world. She wore a spring casual outfit, a lavender tapered suit top complete with matching flounced pencil skirt to match. She looked like a reporter just in appearance, or something similar. "Narumi-sa-" She rounded the corner of the desk and stared down at the frazzled detective, barely stifling a laugh. "Catch you getting familiar with yourself again?"

"Put a cork in it, Tae!" The man shout irritably. He wished for something to do to cure his boredom, all he got was a nosy reporter friend coming to call. "I'm doing delicate research online!"

"Looks like you're looking at pastry recipes online, Narumi." Tae laughed, but helped the man to his feet in spite of everything. Of any of his clients, Narumi knew Tae the longest. They had met even before he entered the police academy, back when she was just entering middle school. She was a lively kid, running around with a notebook and a toilet paper tube microphone, and being his next door neighbor, she'd often come over to "interview" him. Years down the road, Narumi saw her as something of a kid sister, but sibling or no, she still had the habit of barging in at inopportune times and heckling him while he tried to get work done. And for what? An interview, a scoop, a tip-off to a big hit of a story to "blow the pants off all those big wigs who say girls can't make it in the journalism world!" Narumi wasn't sure where she got the feminist act, and knew she hardly got flak from any "big wigs" that she wrote for. In fact, Narumi had read a few articles by her before and found them to be quite well done... In the end, he figured she was simply trying to make a point, or just prove that "Asakura Kichou" was a force to be reckoned with.

Narumi righted himself, then his chair, dusting both off before returning to his seat. "I'm taking a break."

"Right... Say, I heard an interesting rumor the other day!" This again. As a reporter Tae came across many "rumors", from monsters living in abandoned warehouses to ghosts that haunted the local school's bell tower. Often they were not real, or they were too bizarre to be even fathomable, but on occasion they did have their uses, especially when it came to unfathomable cases like the one from a few nights ago. "And that would be?" He asked, reaching for the still lit cigarette on the floor and snuffing it out.

Tae plopped down at the dining table situated in the center of the office, the one he sat clients at during discussions of cases. "Well, I heard a strange rumor that there's been a mysterious cloaked figure flitting about Tsukudo-cho!"

A strange cloaked figure; that rang a bell. But that wasn't enough to keep him interested. "Okay, so someone's wearing a cloak. What about it?"

Tae pout, cheek's puffing. "Let me finish, Narumi!" she scolded, reaching into her messenger bag and pulling out a notepad. "It's always in some shady area near the west-end exit. They say he appears sporadically, sometimes running, sometimes limping, sometimes _flying_ by some reports." Nimble fingers flipped through pages of notes, a dozen or so interview. "But in spite of the differences in stories, they all said the same thing."

Narumi quirked a brow, wondering if he should get up for another smoke. "And that is?"

"He always smells like blood and death."

That tidbit got the gears turning. Black cloak smelling of death. His mind immediately turned to the kid he had saw a few days before. He had been brought in by the chief of police, right? Was he a foreigner or was he truly a specialist of sorts?

The notebook was snatched from Tae's hand, the man flipping through it, "Where did you say they see this guy at?"

"H-hey, give that back!" A hand darted out to try and apprehend the notebook thief, only to have Narumi stand and begin reading through it. "Just answer the questions, miss. Just the facts." He smirked.

Tae pout once more, appearing much younger than she was. "West-end, where the train lets off, the line that goes up out of town? But it's only late at night, sometimes on the last train. No one has seen him in the daylight."

Narumi continued flipping through pages, noticing something... interesting. "Tae, why do none of these people have occupations listed?"

"They don't have jobs."

The two exchanged a look, Narumi appearing as though he was physically in pain by the act. "Tae, you can't just interview _homeless_ people in the park and expect what you hear to be true!"

"But what if it is? It's just a rumor, and their stories match!"

Unconvinced, Narumi tossed the notebook back at her. "Thanks for the tip, Tae, but I'm not all that interested in some black shadow a couple of drunk guys in west-end have seen. Thanks, but I have to work on that slasher over in the canal."

"Are you questioning my fact-checking skills?"

"I'm questioning your braining skills. Now if you don't mind, I'm _working_ here."

Finally relenting, Tae stood and gathered her things. "Fine, see if I come back with the _next_ tidbit of information, since you're so ungrateful." The same spiel every time, and much to Narumi's disappointment, she always came back. _Always._

Narumi waved her off and returned to his desk, looking over what little information he had printed. The documents were highlighted, noted, and even had some corrections made. All were medical records, arrest lists, and friend's profiles from the cases. The three of them were heavy into drugs, yet the man of the relationship still managed to support the other three at work in spite of his own drug habit. They had little more than petty thefts and shoplifting on their records, with the exception of an assault charge against the second man, which apparently ended with a suspension serve. Yet with all this, not one person interviewed could say they knew exactly whom would want to take the three out in such a gruesome way. All they knew is that they often took in stray cats. Narumi soon found that nothing would add up to any _normal_ reasoning. That's when he started looking at the paranormal.

With Tae out of his hair, he was free to switch tabs in his browser and look at a whole different website. Black background, a light gray print with red accents, and in the middle column nothing but pictures of creatures known to haunt the lands. Any demonic form, any deity from any country was all listed here, and with the help of some enthused fans of the occult, a lot of the articles where accompanied by detailed pictures. Unfortunately, Narumi wasn't sure where to start, and had taken up looking through each individual profile one by one, determining through process of elimination which one could be responsible for the deaths.

It wasn't doing him much good, considering he couldn't find a demon that could fit through the window but still have the huge paws of a predatory cat. Further investigation would be needed... he just hoped it was a one-time freak accident and not something that was going to become recurring, because without any leads, he wasn't sure he wanted to dive into that, possible compensation or no.

As the sun set into yet another uneventful night, Narumi prepared himself a small dinner consisting of leftover pasta and a bit of pizza from a previous delivery, deciding he may as well watch some TV for the sake of drowning out his boredom with mindless entertainment and junk food. Ah, the life of the bachelor.

It was around midnight when his usual sitcom line-up ended and he decided to turn in for the night. Not that he had far to go to do so, with the only television set in the apartment being in direct view of his bed. He clicked off the set and rolled over, trying to get comfortable.

Yet just as he finally got himself comfortable on his luxurious queen mattress, a thick rumbling interrupted his rest, followed by a bolt of lightning and bucket of rain being dumped on the city... and on his nice wood floors. "Ah, damn it!" Narumi sprung from the bed, quickly moving to shove the window closed before it could allow more water to seep into the old wood of his apartment. Narumi continued to curse as he grabbed the nearest towel and began mopping up with this feet. Of course he'd have to do something like this as soon as he was comfortable, Murphy's law.

While mopping the soaked hardwood, something flickered across his vision, which immediately widened to the ground below. It was only slight, sudden, a flash of white against the cobblestone pavement. But just as soon as he had saw it, it was no more. What was that? A demon? A guest?

And then, trailing behind him in a blur of white, red, and black, was a shadowy cloaked figure.

Without even giving a thought to Tae's rumors, Narumi pulled on his clothes as quickly as possible, darting down the stairs to try and catch it himself first hand. Why? Even he wasn't sure, but it felt like something was compelling him to pursue that shadow, and he had to know it's secrets...

Narumi ran into the night looking for the cloaked figure, wanting to confirm his suspicious and work out the gut feeling he had.

The rain continued to pour down around his ears as he walked the streets of Tsukudo-cho, slicker whipping around in the wind and the occasional breeze threatening to blow his hat away. The streets were eerily quiet, either because of the sudden squall or something else entirely. He recognized it, the tension in the air... the aura that surrounded him, clutched at his skin, his brain, his heart, thick and heavy like a wet wool suffocating the entire city. It set off emotions of fear, sorrow, anger, pain... but he knew to ignore it. The few times he had come across such a feeling told him what to do; stand tall, don't let your mind wander. It was when you let the fear get to you that you could fall into that other world. And if you fell through the cracks of time and space into the darkness, there was little chance you'd come back unscathed.

Narumi continued to wander, the feeling dread steadily dissipating. Whatever was here challenging the barrier between worlds was weakening. He imagined the shadowy figure was somehow responsible, yet he wasn't sure why. If it was, then the figure was not something malicious, but malevolent. At least there was that realization to comfort him; the shadowy figure was not hostile to him, at least.

A deep, thundering roar interrupted his thoughts, his head whipping around in the direction of the animalistic cry. That wasn't thunder, nor could it be anything short of an escaped zoo animal, but in Tsukudo-cho? It was hint enough where he should be.

The detective made a bee-line back towards the Ginrou-kaku building as the sounds of a one sided battle broke out. The running of steel through flesh, claws through cloth, gunshots... He was surprised the police weren't out there checking it out, yet as he passed a few civilians they looked to hardly acknowledge the disturbing noises. Was he imagining it? Or was it that only _he_ had the ability to hear it?

The noises suddenly came to a stop with a shuddering growl, and then all was quiet, drowned out by the downpour. The eeriness dissipated, but Narumi could not shake the feeling that the threat was not quite gone.

He continued down the street, approaching a darkened alley. When he got within ten feet of it, the smell hit him; blood.

Instinctively his had went for his gun tucked neatly in the leather holster beneath his jacket. He had made the mistake of leaving the house without it earlier, but this time he was prepared. The puddles from the storm were dyed red beneath his feet, bits of white fur and what looked like flesh strewn about the concrete alley. But no carcass, so either the beast had escaped or had been sucked into the darkness.

The gun was drawn as Narumi carefully entered the corridor, approaching the bend in the alley. His gut feeling told him to be prepared for the worst, that there was _something_ just around the corner... He hugged close to the wall, gun drawn, peeking around the brick to see whom or what was there on the other side.

In the darkness of the alleyway past the bend was the shadowed figure he'd seen before, moving away from him at a snail's pace, very much using the brick wall as support. Hell, the figure was practically lying against it as they moved. Now that it was very much slowed to a crawl Narumi could make it out for what it really was.

Human, definitely human. Tall, too. That was about as much as he could make out with that cloak, appearance-wise, that is. But beyond that he could tell a few other things. Chalk it up to some good life experience in the force, or decent deductive reasoning, whatever. He knew the figure was limping, that it was having trouble. They also seemed to be holding their side, or stomach. He didn't look well. Narumi's eyes also fell upon the hilt of a sword hidden under that cloak. That instantly set off alarms in his head, but before he could think too much into that the figure suddenly collapsed, hitting a puddle with a nice splash. There was a pause, only a few seconds that felt like forever as he waited for the figure to rise again, struggle to their feet and continue on. But that didn't happen. They lay still, unmoving. Were they dead? Passed out?

Narumi hesitantly approached the bloody figure, gun still drawn out of habit. Who knew if they man was capable of getting up and taking him out right then and there. One could never be too careful.

A cat trot up to the collapsed man, mewling almost frantically, biting the hem of his cloak as if trying to rouse him. It must have been his pet… Narumi mused, inching ever closer to the injured man. Just as he came within a few feet of him, the cat took notice, fur bristling and ears flattening back with a warning hiss.

It was just like the other day, outside of the complex…

This confirmed it. The shadowy specter that Tae had mentioned, the one he watched make chase just outside his home, was the same as the boy he saw before at the crime scene.

In spite of the cat's warning, Narumi knelt down beside the boy, gently turning him over so he wasn't face down in the puddles anymore. Pale skin, angular cheeks, full lips… Screwed up in pain or not, he could tell he was the very same child. _He _was pursuing the beast? This boy? Was he insane?

His training kicked in, assessing the situation. The boy was not dead, still breathing, if not a bit ragged. He wore a school uniform to match the cap firmly placed upon his head, the fabric torn and dyed crimson by what looked like a deep gash in his stomach. Claw marks, so he _was_ pursuing the beast, and had apparently given it a run for its money judging by the fur and bits of animal meat on the other side of the alleyway. A white leather belt hung from his hips, a sword on one side, a gun on the other. Across his chest was what appeared to be a holster of sorts, metal tubes tugged neatly in rows of four on each side. But what really caught his attention was the design on the hilt…

He knew that design, he saw it once before, years ago…

Then it clicked.

The cloaked woman, the mysterious boy sent in for a special investigation, and the rumors surrounding the shadow… paired with that dark, heavy aura, it finally made sense.

Narumi wasted no time in heft the boy up into his arms in spite of the cats protests. The feline scratched and bit as his ankles, Narumi had to fight the urge to kick it away. "Calm down, pussy-cat." He chided, making sure he had a firm grip on the slight youth. The boy was injured enough, he didn't need to be dropped again. Given the situation, Narumi couldn't take him to the hospital. If anyone from _that_ world ended up there, their leader would have a fit. Cover-ups were expensive, and if someone found out too much it could be life-threatening.

He would have to patch the boy up as best as he could, otherwise he'd end up dead out here in the rain. "You owe me an explanation, kid." Narumi adjusted himself to better suit the boy's weight, grimacing as blood began running down his slicker and onto his slacks. "And a new suit too. But I'll put that on your tab." Along with all the other medical supplies he'd need, he was sure.

With the cat in tow, Narumi hastily made his way back to the office, hoping he could get the boy fixed up long enough for an explanation… and to confirm his suspicions.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing he knew was there was sun on his face. The second was that he was covered in warmth with his head on something soft. Eyes opened slowly, the boy wincing as the bright sunlight hit them, causing him to squint. They adjusted slowly, making him ponder just how long he'd been out. He took a moment to think, to try and remember what happened. Nope, none of it no matter how hard he tried. His memories lead blurrily up to about when he'd trying to make his way home after putting the fear of his clan into the beast. From what he could assume he'd passed out. The question was where was he now? How did he get here? Slowly, shakily he sat up, using his arms as supports to keep the strain off his injured stomach. Speaking of, how was it he hadn't bled out in the streets last night? He looked down at his overly slender, toned midsection to see it had been bandaged, and from what he could feel had been stitched as well.

Curious. But why? Well, no matter. He could just have one of his companions complete the job. Looking around he searched for his chest holster which usually housed the tubes he was after. Nowhere to be found. This set off his worry. Looking about the room he realized nothing of his was there. Not his weapons, clothing, or anything. Not even his cat. He called for him in a harsh whisper and was only rewarded with silence. Worry turned into a panic.

It didn't help when he heard movement just down the hall. Instincts set in, dangerously under filled heart pounding in his chest, stirring what blood he had remaining at a fevered pace. He felt his head spin, could see black in the corners of his eyes as he crawled from the bed. The boy fought the near black out, fought damn hard, only barely keeping himself from dropping like a ton of bricks onto the hardwood floor under him. He could hear wood creaking a few rooms down, not far at all. Pulling the drawstring on the too-big pajama pants he was suited with tight he began silently creeping about the room in search of a weapon. He didn't know who was past that door on the other side of the room and he did not want to face them unarmed in his condition. He searched high and low, desperate to find anything he could. Finally, he came up with a Swiss army knife hidden in one of the drawers. He took a quick glance to the door before crouching down just behind the bed to check on his find.

He slowly flipped the blade out until it locked, running a thumb over it. Yup, it was still good and sharp. This would do him just fine. He stayed there a long while, listening, waiting, trying to track the footsteps through the small apartment. Male, not too heavy, athletic, somewhat lethargic. That was about as much as he could pick up by his pace. Not much but enough. With any luck he could take him and run back home. No, it would take a lot of luck; he knew damn well the condition he was in.

Slowly, fighting the wave of dizziness and blackness that invaded his vision he stood, carefully making his way to the door. He pressed his ear against it, listening, waiting. He heard nothing from the hallway. The man in question was further down. The boy reached for the door, fingers hesitant to turn the knob. He calmed himself, taking a deep, slow breath and letting it out in an attempt to slow his heart. Once it had quieted somewhat he opened the door, silent as possible, and poked his head out. No one was there. It was just a regular hallway of a small and somewhat unkempt home. Eyes flicked back and forth, trying to pinpoint where the man was. He heard the footsteps again, further down at the end of the hallway past the open door. Now or never. The boy slipped out from the bedroom and slowly moved down the hall towards that door, back pressed firm against the wall as he went. He didn't need anything sneaking up on him.

Down the hall he went, slow and steady, one foot side-stepping the other. As he walked he passed another small room with random things piled inside. Boxes filled with paper, old furniture, a bed frame that looked like it had never been used. A storage room? Maybe. And just past that was another small hallway, this one complete with a little half-flight of stairs and a door at the end that looked like it'd head out into another hallway. He bolted for it, tried the handle. No dice. It was jammed. Of all the rotten luck... He'd have to go with his original plan. He poked his head around the corner quickly. Seeing no one he rushed to the other side, back to his previous spot against the wall, and continued his trek. He soon found himself passing a kitchen, cluttered with papers on the counters, dirty pots and pans, and old pizza box. Dishes were piled in the sink. What a slob this captor of his was.

The sound of creaking springs and wood jolted him from his musings. Just past that doorway, so close to him now, only a few feet. That was where the man was. That was his road to getting out of here. He could see the door from there. All he had to do was run. He readied himself, his weapon held gingerly in hand, arm down and relaxed. He steadied himself and went for it. He burst through the open door into... an office living space of all things. Surprised but not deterred he sought out the man he'd heard moving about. There he was, standing by the desk at the end of the room, looking far less surprised than he himself was. Wait, he looked familiar...

Hadn't he been that man from the night he'd gone to that crime scene? What was going on?

The man only spared him a passing glance from where he stood, a cup of coffee in one hand, a cell phone in the other. He merely smiled and set both down, hands resting on his hips. "Good, you're awake." He greeted him, the man cheerfully motioning for him to come closer. Never mind the boy had a knife in one hand and looked like he was going to fall over at any given moment. This man was certainly a strange one.

The office space itself was much neater than the rest of the apartment. Bookshelves along one wall, a small stereo set on a table next to it. On the opposite wall was a simple straight-backed loveseat and a few sporadically placed potted plants, a shoji screen in the corner. In the center was a dark wood table with a set of four chairs pushed against it. Upon it, a simple snack of coffee and cookies laid out for a guest, or as one could assume, the boy standing before him.

Cluttered still, but it seemed the occupant was adamant about keeping it presentable to others. Now simple overlooked tasks like dusting and washing of the glass fixtures were completely forgotten, as if the man did not see the importance in such menial chores.

Stepping away from his desk, the man spoke again, that same playful baritone as before. "I'm glad for it." He began, traversing the small span between that and the half-steps that separated him from the nervous boy. "You had the hell beat out of you last night, I was almost sure you wouldn't make it for while." A glance to the clock mounted on the wall caused the man to chuckle, "It's almost four, if you can believe it."

A grin was directed at him once more, a seemingly common expression for the smartly dressed man. Who was he? "Now, if you'll put my knife down, I'll reheat your coffee."

The teenager stared at him through eyes that were fighting their owner every step of the way to close. This man must have been off his rocker. That, or the calmest, most laid back person in the world. The boy looked around a bit, towards the table all set up for a little snack. Strange man. But he didn't seem to mean him any harm. Outwardly, that is. He slowly unlocked the little latch inside the blade with his thumb, flipping it back into a closed position. He refused to give it up, however. He stared his host down, holding it to his bare chest to show this.

The man looked to accept this well enough, perhaps he understood in a way? Or completely out of his gourd to be this relaxed. "Fair enough. Have a seat, won't you? You look like you're about to keel over." He turned to the table, grasping the back of one of the chairs, a hint.

Hesitating only a moment the boy moved past the other, going to sit in a chair opposite of the one he'd pulled out for him. Seems he was mistrusting as he was strong willed. He didn't take his eyes off the man for a second.

Of course this garnered the young man a peculiar expression, but he let it slide. No reason to push him to cooperate. Still, one had to wonder why the man he had woken up with was so trusting of him already. To confuse him further, he took a seat across from the boy, offering a cookie. "You don't need to look so guarded." Said the man as he smirked. "Your boss lady already knows you're here. You're not going to get reprimanded."

Tired eyes widened at the mention of his boss, the cautious gaze shifting to worry, almost pleading. Still he remained silent, ignoring the offered treat.

"Relax." The man reassured him, taking the cookie for himself. "I've had dealings with your lot before. You're from the Yatagarasu, right?"

Very few were privy to that name; the Yatagarasu, an organization that acted as a complete unknown to the general populous. They had existed for centuries, silently protecting the world from demons and fiends that sought to bring about the apocalypse. They operated under a messenger from Yatagarasu itself, called the Herald, but the true leader had never been seen, even by those who worked for him. There were many who worked for the mysterious, illuminati-esque organization, but most notable were those whom could communicate and control demons, as well as carried the means to combat them. If this man knew of them, then he must have had some involvement with the Yatagarasu, or had been high enough in political rank to be aware of them.

Of course the boy was curious as to how he knew them, knew anything of his employer. Wanting to hear more he stayed silent, listening with open ears.

But that would not come without a bit of information from him first, "What's your name, kid?"

To this he lowered his gaze, face becoming blank, eyes thoughtful. He did reach for a cooking after a while; bringing it to his nose to sniff lightly, consuming it after. But not before a small utterance, the first words he had actually heard the boy speak. "...Kuzunoha Raidou..."

"Kuzunoha Raidou, huh?" The man leaned forward in his chair, offering a hand across the table to the quiet boy with a wink, "Narumi Shouhei. Welcome to my office, Raidou-chan."

At the name the boy seemed to choke on his cookie. He swallowed it forcibly and proceeded to have a short coughing fit into his hand, after of which he stared up at the detective disapproving gaze. "C-chan...?"

Narumi completely ignored the comment, grabbing his coffee and taking a sip. "So what were you doing out there last night? Did it have something to do with that case the chief hired you for?"

Again there was a long pause, almost as if the kid had gone silent again. But finally he spoke, reaching for another cookie. "...I don't work for him." Was all he'd say before stuffing his face. Kid must have been famished as much as he was exhausted.

That struck a chord; had the chief said that just to get him to leave? But if he was indeed not hired, that would mean it did involve the underworld, and that the Herald did in fact send him. His suspicions once again confirmed, Narumi continued... but not before taking notice of the boy's apparent hunger. "I can make you an actual meal if you want, you know." He motioned to the half-eaten plate of cookies with a huge grin.

Raidou halted in mid-chew at the mention of food. Those eyes took on the innocently pleading gaze once again, aimed directly at the detective. With a look like that, what choice did he have?

Narumi stood, scratching at his head, "I don't have much more than sandwich supplies and instant noodles, but sit tight and I'll whip something up for you, deal?" He'd have to brave the kitchen he had been avoiding for the last few weeks, but at least he could make _something_ for the kid to eat. Without a shirt, he looked all skin and bones with a thin layer of muscle on top. Too thin for someone so young.

Raidou seemed to light up a bit at that. Eager for some decent nutrition he offered the man a small smile in return for his generous offer.

The man disappeared into the disaster zone that was his kitchen for some time. If one listened closely, you could hear the sound of plates and pans being shuffled around and the occasional silverware drop. Most days Narumi didn't bother cooking, it was far more convenient to heat up hot water for instant noodles or microwave a meal, or even pick up a convenient store box lunch. But Narumi didn't feel quite safe enough leaving the boy to his own devices when he had just woken up, so he haphazardly slapped together some cinnamon toast and some instant oatmeal for him. More nutritious than cookies, at least.

"Foods on!" The man cheerfully announced as he stepped out from the living area into the office, carrying the plate in hand.

By the time Narumi had returned his injured charge was already halfway to dreamland, head on the table with a half-eaten cookie on the floor, fallen from his hand. The kid really was dead tired. The man stifled a laugh upon seeing this. If he was that tired, he should have stayed in bed... "Hey now, wake up." The plate was set before the kid along with a fork. "At least eat a little before you zonk out on me."

With a little grumble, a tiny groan of protest Raidou sat up. Struggled to sit up was more like it. His wounds were getting the better of him. But still he tried to power through it and reached for the meal provided. With a quiet 'itadakimasu' he cut his first bite, eating it gratefully.

Instead of sitting down, Narumi knelt next to him, pressing a hand against his forehead. "You're not feeling too hot, are you?" An understatement, he was sure, but Narumi wanted to give the kid a chance to say so himself. The kid was too quiet, too subdued. How old was he anyway?

Narumi almost instantly had his hand pushed away before Raidou went back to his food. So he didn't talk and he didn't like to be touched. All useful things to know. The kid was shaping up to be mighty unfriendly, or at least a very severe introvert. "Just trying to help... What was that thing you fought anyhow?" If he couldn't get the kid to talk about himself, he could at least get him to talk about the beast.

"Cerberus.." Or not. That was all he said between sluggishly scooping mouthfuls of food into his face, chewing and swallowing like he was nearly completely unmotivated to do so. Well, at least one of his suspicions was confirmed; he had saw Cerberus on the encyclopedia site and it along with a few others matched the description of the claws he had seen. The question was, why was it attacking humans here? "It must have been rough if it tore you up that badly. Did the Herald send you out on a suicide mission?"

Again, the man was rewarded with a short and to the point answer. "No." and he was back to eating. Kid was a real conversationalist. A little crabby when tired, too. This would require some maneuvering. "...Does that cat belong to you?"

That got his attention. Raidou instantly looked up at the detective beside him, swallowing his food in one nervous gulp. "...Where is Gouto?" Gouto? Must have been the cat's name. Narumi motioned to the closed window, where a black cat was paw at the glass, looking annoyed. "It was clawing to get out earlier, so I put it outside..."

The boys head spun to the side, yes widening when he saw the familiar feline. He instantly struggled to his feet and went to open the window. Once the glass slid up, the cat ran in, landing on the desk and dancing on the keyboard of Narumi's laptop for a moment before turning to face the boy and yowl. But what sounded like nothing but animalistic cat noises to Narumi was something else entirely to Raidou. "The hell didn't you let me in sooner? Where's your head, Jouhei?"

Turning to face the cat the boy explained quietly. "I was out cold until about twenty minutes ago. Why did you let me be taken here?"

The cat, Gouto, wagged his tail in annoyance. "Trust me when I say I had less choice in the matter than you think. You were mortally wounded and he happened to be close by. Any halfway decent looking civilian would due in that situation." This feline, while appearing as nothing more than a very chattering housecat to most, was actually something much more to the young boy. He was his guide, his mentor, and in a sense, his boss. Anything Gouto demanded of him was to be complied with, whether it was something from the Herald or not.

Raidou sighed softly, thankful that his feline companion had enough sense to help him when he couldn't on his own. That was also when the room started spinning. Down he went, the lack of blood in his veins finally getting to him. Too much had left his brain too quickly as he'd gotten from his seat. He paid for his in the way of a sudden black out.

"Jouhei!"

"Whoa, hey kid!" Before the boy could crash to the floor he was caught by strong arms. Narumi gently lowered the kid, fanning him with his hand, as if trying to help him come to. No good, out like a light. "Jeez... If you're not well still, at _least_ stay seated..." He chided, hefting the boy up and half-carrying, half-dragging him to the couch, gingerly laying him on it. The cat followed close behind, nearly getting underfoot in the process. It mewled softly, but its cat-words fell upon ears that could not understand him.

The blanket was tugged off the back of the loveseat and spread over the sleeping boy; it was the least he could do to make the boy comfortable. "You're a handful, I can already tell, Raidou..."

It was some time around midnight before the boy woke again, drowsy and more than a little confused about what had happened. Had he passed out? He sat up slowly with a little groan, looking about the dark room. Where was he? Still in the office? Where was the detective? He could see a light on past the doorway. The kitchen? He called out. "...Gouto...?" Nothing. He tried again, this time the detective's name. "..Narumi-san? Are you there?"

The sound of shuffling linens and boxes came from behind the closed door before it clacked open. Narumi emerged, dressed in much more casual attire than he was in previously; a loose-fitting wide-neck shirt and a pair of worn jeans. "Good morning." He said nearly sarcastically, stepping out from the hallway and into the office. "How you feeling?"

"I'm fine." he replied, though he clearly wasn't. He was still paler than usual (if that was at all possible) and he didn't seem to be focusing quite right. He really must have lost a lot of blood.

Unconvinced, Narumi grabbed a chair from the table and pulled it up next to him, "You know, only fools lie about their condition."

The man earned a glare for that, Raidou effectively turning his nose up at him. The detective took it in stride, though he was beginning to get a little exasperated. "Look, if you're that guarded, you can just relax. Your boss gave me the green light to keep you until you recover, so no need to bite my head off for trying to help."

Hearing this did help the boy relax just a bit. At least he wouldn't get in trouble while he was here. But still, there were questions he wanted answered. Blue-grey eyes turned up to the older man's brown ones, curious as before. "Why did you help me?" was the first one.

A valid question, not one he wasn't prepared to answer. Narumi raked a hand through the thick curls of his hair, averting his gaze in the darkness. "You were injured, I was there. It's that simple. Granted I was a little concerned when I saw the emblem on your katana, but at least _that_ told me you weren't a sociopathic freak on a murder spree." Which regardless of the kid's established rank in the Yatagarasu could still be true, but Narumi wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. And if all else failed, he knew where his gun was stashed.

"You say that, but you're always armed around me..." Caught and called on. But the boy didn't seem angry. Instead he simply eyed the man with those large almond shaped eyes, peering up at him through thick lashes. "Am I so untrustworthy even when you've hidden my sole means to defend myself?" meaning his weapons and tubes most likely. And with good reason too, considering that afternoon. But still, damned if the kid didn't make him feel bad about it looking at him like that. But Narumi did have a good reason for denying him his weapons and carrying one of his own; something he had learned long ago the hard way, never let your guard down. Yet to show he meant no harm, Narumi pulled the gun from his waistband and set it behind him on the table. "You fought and survived a battle with a beast that killed three people just a few nights ago. Can't blame a guy for being too careful when you look at it like that."

"I only survived because of the help of my companions."

Narumi quirked a brow. _Companions? But it was just him and the cat..._ "Who are your companions?"

Raidou lowered his eyes, refusing to say. He regretted mentioning it in the first place. Better to have this man think he was a nutjob rather than have his clans ways exposed. Yet, much to his chagrin, Narumi caught on. "Kid, you can just say it. It's got something to do with those tubes of yours, doesn't it?" Yes, his previous encounter with the Yatagarasu had made him well aware of what could be contained inside those metal confines the people among their ranks would carry. That, and the aura surrounding them made his hair stand on end; a dead giveaway. Still Raidou remained silent. But the look in his eye told Narumi that he was not only correct, but the boy felt guilty for having to lie to him.

The man leaned back in his chair and sighed, "Look, you don't have to divulge any secrets to me, I'm just asking out of curiosity." The man waved all this off as if it was nothing, "I only ask because I've had run-ins with your kind before, and I just wanted to know a bit more about you." Information he wasn't likely to get, by the looks of it. "I don't really care if you can control demons or are just some kid playing pretend, just be truthful with me." The room fell silent again, Raidou not once moving from his spot, head lowered, eyes thoughtful. But just as the detective had all but given up, giving an exaggerated sigh and getting up to leave, the boy spoke. "...Pixie."

That stopped Narumi in his tracks, immediately turning to the boy, listening intently. "Pixie?"

He nodded once, slow and soft. "...She healed me before I lost consciousness."

_A pixie, eh?_ He envisioned a cute little fairy floating around Raidou's head zapping little healing bolts of love his way. Adorable. "So that explains why you were mostly held together save for a few deeper cuts." Narumi mused. He recalled the night before when the boy was dragged in. When he examined his wounds, he noticed that the deep gashes across his abdomen had begun to stitch themselves up, the tissue reconnecting over the wound. But the job hadn't been finished, why was that?

"I fainted before she could finish..." the teen muttered with embarrassment, "Without guidance she reverted back inside her tube..."

So Raidou indeed had some control over the demons he carried. Remarkable. "You're lucky she got you that far. I'm no surgeon; any more severe and I would have no choice but to take you to the hospital." And then a hand reached out to him again, patting the boy's short, almost scruffy hair. "You did good, kid."

Oh the blush that pinkened the boys face. If that wasn't a sight to see then nothing was. He lowered his head, more than a little embarrassed by the praise. "...Thank you."

Wasn't that a sight to behold; Raidou, whom Narumi had assumed thus far had just about as much emotion as a potato, managed a blush somehow. Hell, if he kept that up, he might even make a passable human and less a statue. The hand was pulled away from the boy's hair and instead offered to him. "C'mon, let's get you to an actual bed. You're my guest, so I changed the sheets for you."

A look of confusion in his eyes, Raidou stared up at the man before him. Guest? Bed? What? Narumi sought to ease his mind on the matter, "I'm taking you back to my room to sleep. You know, where the bed with blankets and pillows are." Again, Raidou was blushing lightly. He really didn't understand all this. Why was this man being so hospitable? He didn't know him, so then... "Shouldn't I be sleeping here? It's your home..."

"Cuz my guest room is the catch-all-the-things room right now, and your cat has been glaring at me since I laid you down on the couch."

"That couch is filthy!" He could hear Gouto hissing from somewhere in the back area of the apartment.

Now that al that had been well explained Raidou was more inclined to take the much needed help. He slowly got to his feet, more than a little wobbly. He still hadn't recovered. Just how much blood had he lost? "Easy, easy..." Raidou's arm was taken and draped over the man's shoulders, Narumi's hand around his waist to steady him. "No need to push yourself." _Jeez, I can feel his bones even through the sweatpants! Does he just not eat enough?_ Judging from how vehemently he ate the snacks, he figured the answer was a resounding 'yes'.

The teen tried to push away gently, a hand on the man's chest. Their eyes met again and Raidou decided he was too close for comfort. "There's no need. I can take care of myself," he said quickly, as if trying to mask his own fear. Did he live in a hole or something before this? He was way too nervous around people. But even with the request Narumi didn't let up entirely, just loosened his grip a bit. "Don't be stupid, you already collapsed once. Let me help."

"I don't need help. I was trained to take care of myself." he insisted, weakly trying to pull away once again. And just to prove his point, Narumi suddenly let go. Raidou stumbled back a few steps, just barely catching his footing. With a frown of upset at his own weakness he lowered his head in defeat. The room was spinning and he felt like he'd pass out any second. His wounds throbbed and he honestly did just want to collapse onto the floor and sleep this all off.

The detective shook his head and offered a hand to the boy, "Let's go. I won't tell your superiors." As if that'd ease his troubled mind. He knew these types; the sorts to run headfirst into battle if commanded to do so, and to rely only on themselves to survive. No one else could be trusted, any affiliation could be used against you... it was a terrible thing to teach someone so young.

Feeling ashamed the boy took the offered hand, accepting his help. As much as it hurt knowing that he needed help from someone else he also knew that he would be much worse off if he collapsed again and opened up the stitches in his side and abdomen. Speaking of... "Narumi-san... Did you do this..?" the boy asked while pointing to the bandaged wounds on his stomach.

A grin of pride crossed the man's dry lips as they walked. "That? Yep, learned it while I was in the force. You never know when you're going to need to learn some crash surgery. Though you were lucky," He gave Raidou a mischievous wink, "I've had to do that a few times in my day, so I've had practice." Granted he rather not think of those 'few times' he had to care for a mortally wounded partner in the field. Those memories were best left buried deep in the recesses of his mind, left to fester as a mental illness until a later date.

Raidou followed easily, taking this information in. So at least he'd been found by someone not only caring but able as well. Thank goodness he was lucky.

The hallway leading further into the apartment was cluttered with boxes and garbage bags. It seemed while the boy was out Narumi had taken to cleaning the place up. The door to the "catch-all-the-things" room was open, and it appeared that the source of most of the debris in the hall was from there. Perhaps he had taken to cleaning it... "It's filthy in there, too. I honestly don't see why the Herald thinks this man is capable of taking care of a hamster, let alone your injuries." Gouto complained from his place atop a pile of boxes. Had he been watching the man this entire time? Seems he was just as suspicious about Narumi as Raidou was.

Raidou didn't say a word as they passed the cat, letting himself be lead into the bedroom. At this point he longed for a nice warm bed. The second Narumi helped him lay down he was out like a light, gone in half a second. Poor thing was really messed up from this whole ordeal.

With him already gone to the world, Narumi took the opportunity to check his wounds. Stitching was still in place, and the bruising was starting to lighten. All good things. A quick clean-up job was all he needed to do before he himself got to sleep.

Narumi returned with a small bowl of water and some fresh bandages, pulling the sheets back to begin his work. For someone who often appeared so rough, Narumi was remarkably gentle when it came to caring for the ailing boy. The stitching was thoroughly cleaned, the scrapes and gashes disinfected and rewrapped. There was one set of stitches on the boy's thigh he needed to remove the pants to get to, however.

Nimble fingers hooked beneath the waistband of the boy's borrowed pajama pants, alerting his feline attendant. The cat, Gouto he had learned, jumped out the bed and promptly swiped at the man. Narumi just narrowly dodge, throwing his hands up in defense. "Hey, cool it, pussy cat. I'm just cleaning the kid up!" _What does it think I'm going to do? I'm not a child molester or anything!_ Gouto, seemingly satisfied by his explanation, trotted up to the head of the bed and curled up against Raidou's neck, keeping wary eyes on Narumi's working hands.

The pants were tugged down just far enough to clean and rewrap the cut that was there, Narumi keeping his gaze far, _far_ away from the boy's more private areas. The underwear was there, but he wasn't about to let his mind wander. _Hold up, why is that even an issue? Get ahold of yourself, Shouhei._

The task completed, Narumi redressed the boy and covered him with the heaviest quilt he had. Boy needed to stay warm. He took a moment to stand back and admire his work. Yep, snug as a bug, that Raidou was. The man grinned, reaching down to brush the stray hairs away from his face, fingers drifting down along the sideburns to an angular cheek. _He really does have a cute face... Kid is way too young to be in this line of work..._ Narumi sighed, eyes fixating on the boy's peaceful expression, those eyes lightly flickering in sleep, those slightly parted lips...

_Whoa, hold up, cowboy._ Surprised at his train of thought, Narumi took a step back, scratching his hair nervously. "I should go get some rest too." He said out loud just in case the cat was watching him still. If his brain was going _that _route, he was clearly exhausted. Without further ado, he headed for the door, intending to clear a space to the bathroom before heading to bed himself. Or rather, head to the couch.

He just hoped the kid would be better in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

The boy in question didn't come to join the waking world again until late the next morning. This time when he found himself somewhere unfamiliar he didn't go off and panic. Gouto was still in bed with him, trying his best to keep him warm with his small feline body; a kind gesture coming from a not always kind mentor.

Gouto woke as soon as he did, greeting him with his usual commanding gaze. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in pain..." the teen muttered, rolling over on his side to push himself into a sitting position. He looked around the room, eyes seeking out his host. "If you're looking for the detective," Gouto climbed onto his lap, a hint to stay laying down, "He's in the office."

Question answered Raidou nodded once. But still he wanted to talk to the man. If anything he wanted to find out where his demons were, as well as a few other things. He called for him. Nothing. Seems that sound didn't carry too well in this place. He looked to Gouto instead, silently asking if the cat would fetch him with pleading eyes. Gouto noticed this and heaved a soft sigh, "You've got the eyes of a dame, Jouhei. Weapons, they are." The cat leapt of his lap and onto the old wood floor, trotting towards the door. "I'll fetch the oaf. Stay here."

But before Gouto could make it to the door, the voice of a certain detective carried into the hall. He was talking quickly, his voice somewhat stiff as if he was a little put-off by the person he was having a conversation with. "Yes... No, he's awake... Well, yeah, he lost a lot of bl-... What? But he's still... Yeah... Yeah I get it... I'll tell him... Understood." The voice grew louder then stopped just outside the door, the sound of shuffling fabric against the wood floor being the only indication that the man was still there. The door clicked open, Narumi peeking in to see if his charge was awake. To his relief, he was. "Good morning, kid." He smiled, stepping in and closing the door behind him to hide the mess in the hall. "Feel any better?"

Raidou watched him, eyes curious. What was with that conversation outside the door? He must have been on the phone, and talking about him... But to whom. The Herald? His clan? The chief of police? He nodded to his question, moving to lay back down. His head didn't feel quite right anymore.

Narumi joined him at the edge of his bed, pocketing the mobile phone as he did. "That was your boss. She wants you to report to Shinoda tonight. I'm assuming you know what she means." So the Herald had come calling for him. Looks like his little vacation was up. Raidou didn't look happy about that at all. Not one bit. He nodded once, eyes far off. But his hands were trembling. Was he scared? And why? Was it because he'd gotten hurt so bad and passed out on the job? What were they going to do to him? "Hey..." Much to his surprise, a warm hand was placing over his own shaking ones, Narumi's off-beat attempt at comforting him. "Are you all right?" His voice was soft, but still had that playful tone to it, as if he didn't quite get the severity of the situation, or he knew more than Raidou did.

The summoner simply nodded and carefully moved to sit up again. He held back a wince of pain, kept himself from the automatic response of holding his aching side and stomach and slid off the bed. "...I have to go."

The hand shot up to steady him, pressing him back against the mattress again, "She said not til the evening, I got her to agree to that, at least. You've got some time, so rest." Narumi had bargained with the Herald? Was he crazy? Raidou just stared up at the man, looking more than a little surprised, just a little scared. This kid... Even if his face was blank his eye looked like those of a man awaiting his execution.

Narumi couldn't help but feel the pang of empathy gripping his heart. This poor kid... "Hey, if you're in pain, why not make that pixie thing of yours heal you?" A valid question. Raidou was awake now; he could easily command the demon to do his bidding.

"Where are they...?" he asked quietly. They? Probably asking about aforementioned demons. Narumi hitched a thumb towards his closet and stood, fetching the boy's demon summoning apparatus. "I stashed it in here." The man returned shortly after with his arms full of the boy's holster. The sword and gun were conveniently left in the closet, however. "Which one is the fairy?"

Raidou just stared, eyes widened. Was he really so weakened that he couldn't even sense them near? He felt ashamed. "...Right breast, third in..." Narumi plucked through the tubes, pulling out the one indicated. "This one?" _How does he fit them in these little tubes? Weird..._

The boy nodded once, holding a hand out for it eagerly. Their fingers brushed briefly as Narumi handed the metal tube over, his eyes flicking between the pale hand and the boy.

The young summoner took the tube in hand and let his eyes slip closed, going quiet. Curious. The silence dragged out, finally Raidou parting his lips slightly, as if to speak. But no words came as the lips moved, forming little syllables in silence. Narumi could just barely hear something being uttered, air ghosting through those lips. He was whispering something, something pretty long. A chant? An incantation? As he whispered the little top of the metal tube began to spin, unscrewing itself from its base.

An incandescent green glow sprung up from the slowly opening tube, bursting out into a small bouncing orb of glowing matter, before dissipating completely into... nothingness. What Narumi could not see, however, was a barely hovering and very exhausted looking Pixie. She greeted her master with a tired smile, lowering herself to rest on his lap. "Raidou-sama, I'm so glad you're okay!"

Equally tired blue-grey eyes opened and he looked down at the little fairy with the barest of smiles. She didn't look to be in a good way either. He asked quietly for her to cast something called 'Dia' on him, promising he would get something to help her and someone called Tam Lin as soon as he could.

The fairy complied, holding her hands up to chant the spell of healing. All Narumi could see was a vague flicker of a shape every now and then, and the warm glow of light that centered around Raidou's chest. So whatever it was that Raidou had _did_ have the ability to heal him. Fascinating. "Does that feel better, master?" Raidou gently felt at the bandaged wounds over his stomach and chest. They didn't sting anymore when he pressed on them, only ached just a little. He nodded once and urged the fae into her tube, asking that she rest herself.

Narumi blinked once the glow again dissipated, wondering if what he just witnessed was an illusion or not. Instead of asking dumb questions, he reached around behind Raidou to loosen the bandages and see for himself. The skin around the stitching was almost fully healed now, and the redness was going away. It made him smile. "Man, that fairy thing packs a punch, healing-wise." Raidou smiled lightly at the compliment to his demon. But it seemed almost forced. His eyes were sad. Narumi picked up on this right quick, "You mentioned her and someone named 'Tam Lin'. Is he another fairy?"

The boy shook his head softly, staring down at the tube in his hand sadly. "...He's an elf..A fairy eater..."

That somber expression, the way he cradled the tubes in his hand... "Something happened to him."

"My demons are gravely injured..." That explained the sour mood. The way this kid was cradling that tube... Those demons must have been his only friends. He worried for them not like pets or summoned followers, but loyal friend and companions. Narumi could see it in his eyes; the guilt, the deep sense of concern. "Is there a way to heal them?" Narumi asked. Naïve as he was about the whole summoning business, he was willing to help if it meant this kid would have a reason to smile again.

"I don't have the means... I lost what few healing items I had for them in the battle against the Cerberus. Any others were used in battle before..." Meaning they could not be healed. And it seemed it was breaking the kid's heart.

Then, Narumi had an idea. He recalled a rather strange fellow that didn't live far from him. A foreigner whom rented the living space beneath the local convenience store. He heard rumor from Tae that he had dealings with demons, experiments and whatnot... It was a long shot, but it'd be worth a try, right? "I think I know someone who can help."

At the mention of possible hope for the welfare of his demonic companions the summoner's head shot up, gaze locked with Narumi's. God he looked cute. With eyes like that staring up at him Narumi could easily pinpoint this kids age. No way he was older than 18. Less maybe. A faint blush pinkened his ears as he cleared his throat, "If you can walk, I'll take you there. Deal?" _Sixteen, maybe. Seventeen at most. Why the hell is the Yatagarasu hiring a boy so young?_

"I can't pay..." Out of funds? Well, no reason to bring your wallet out devil hunting with you anyway. Narumi felt his eye twitch at that. He didn't have much money either but... "I'll cover you this time, deal?" Really, how much could it be? Raidou seemed concerned with this idea. Either because he didn't like taking things from strangers, his pride was against it, or he just felt bad putting him out, he seemed upset having to borrow money. It wasn't until Gouto spoke that he began to consider the idea. "May as well take his offer, Jouhei. The Herald won't do you the same courtesy." The decision essentially made for him, Raidou accepted without another complaint. This cat really had the boy pussy whipped, pun very much intended.

Narumi stood once more to head to the closet, "Then it's settled. I'll grab you a shirt to wear. You might fit into some of my older stuff..." His attention turned to the brimming wardrobe, mostly consisting of business casual and the current trends of clothes. Frequent shopper? You bet. On the top shelve however was a recently unearthed Rubbermaid filled with clothes from more than a century ago. Just your generic articles; t-shirts and sweats, some faded jeans, a couple jackets... "These should do the trick... You're about the size I was before I entered the force." A size he had longed to go back to, but his love for coffee and sweet pastries had caused him to fill out back in the day. Even though he had lost the extra pudginess involved with eating too many sweets, his bone structure never quite went back to what it was before.

A loose-fitting t-shirt and a white-washed pair of jeans was tossed towards the boy, scaring his cat and causing it to skitter away hissing ("Watch it!"). "Try those on. I have a belt for the pants if you need it." Raidou easily caught the article of flying clothing, the tube he was holding quickly set on the bed before he'd gone for them. And looking them over now that he had... he didn't seem pleased. Not that he looked disappointed or anything either. He was blank, even his eyes. But with a small nod he slowly got to his feet, entrusting his demon laying in her tube on the bed to his host while he made his way to the bathroom to change.

Narumi went about dressing himself in the meantime, keeping close eye on the tube on the bed while he did. His outfit was much more in fashion; a burgundy v-neck shirt with loose-fitting black jacket and a pair of dark jeans. More casual than he would have liked, but he didn't want the kid to feel too terrible about wearing his hand me downs. But he didn't skimp on the head-gear, a grey pin-striped fedora went along with his ensemble nicely.

It was damn near fifteen minutes before the teenager reappeared, looking more than a little uncomfortable. Lengthwise the clothing fit him fine, but even that didn't help. The jeans were slipping down around the boys hips and the shirt just seemed to make him look smaller. The look on his face was just a little less blank than before but his eyes said it all. He was not happy being dressed like this. But what choice did he have? He'd seen his school uniform hung up in the bathroom and jumped for that. But upon his discovery of it he also found it to be full of gashes and pretty much unwearable. His hat survived, though. He had it firmly planted on his head now actually.

It struck Narumi as strange that the boy would throw his school cap on along with that outfit. He might not be a designer or anything quite so creative, but he couldn't see how it would work well with his current attire. "Any particular reason you're gonna wear that?" He motioned to his own hand with a bit of a grin, handing the belt to the boy so his pants wouldn't end up around his ankles.

Raidou gratefully accepted the belt but said nothing about the hat. He pulled the length of leather through the loops in the jeans, fastening it in front. The belt, much to his dismay, was a little big for the summoner also. Well, no matter. It would keep the pants on his hips at least. Once more Narumi had to stifle a laugh. His previous theories about the boy being too thin were entirely correct. _Note to self, feed the kid._

"Ready to go?"

A single nod was his response. It was becoming a theme here. This boy was far too quiet. Good enough, Narumi decided. "All right, let's go."

The office was on the third floor, and as usual the elevator was out of order. It was to be expected in a building as old as this, but it never the less irked Narumi. The kid was barely on his feet and having to do three flights of steps was surely a chore. He'd have a word with the land lady after this... once he paid his rent, that is.

The street just outside the Ginrou-kaku building was bustling with shoppers browsing the wares of the local stores. While a lot of places in the area had been bought out by larger chains, this particular part of town tried to hang on as long as possible to their old storefronts. One of which was a convenience store at the far corner of the street near the bridge. It used to be solely an antique dealing place, but times had changed, and even the owner stuck in his ways knew he had to change along with him. He still prided himself in beating the big-box dealers away with a stick, and even did a little antiquing on the side. His success was due in part to the man who took up residence in his basement. Or at least that was the rumor.

"Welcome to Konnou-ya." An older man, perhaps in his late sixties greeted them. But no sooner did he say hello did he glower at the man he saw, "Narumi-san, what brings you here?"

Narumi sensed the tension and sought to escape the old man, and quickly. "Just here to see Victor, sir. I got a client for him."

"A client, you say?" The old man perked up. You could practically hear the cashier drawers going off in his head. He quickly crossed over to Raidou, paying no attention to his shabby dress. "Greetings, I am the owner. If you need anything, anything at all, I can find it for you... For a price."

Raidou seemed just a touch intimidated by all this new and shiny around him. The owner seemed nice enough, however, if not a bit of a gold digger. The boy bowed low at the waist, showing quite a bit more manners than he had the detective. "Thank you for the help, sir."

The owner of Konnou-ya looked positively delighted, "Ah, any child with these manners must have a wealthy upbringing!" Narumi rolled his eyes, mumbling a quiet 'spare me' before tugging on the boy's wrist. "Now, if you don't mind, we got people to see."

Nonplussed, the owner waved them away. "Off you go then. Hm... That Victor, what _is_ he doing in my basement, I wonder?" An act? Or did he truly not know what the man did for a living? Either way, Narumi figured he was the right guy for the job, if the rumors rang true, that is.

Past the doorway to the basement was a long staircase leading to a huge dark room. Cages here and there, one or two gurneys on the side, speckled with what could only be blood. And operating table in the middle. But what really arrested the duos attention was the large pieces of machinery along the back wall, one in particular with visible electric currents running down it. Well, this had to be the place.

In the center of the room hunched over one of the gurneys was a frazzled looking fellow in a lab coat, looking like something out of the Frankenstein novel, surgical gloves, goggles, and all. Narumi instantly regretted bringing the boy here; the place looked more like an evil lair of a psychopath than someone who could do any sort of healing. But before he could grab the boy and run, the man spotted them, whirling around with arms in the air. "Welcome to my laboratory, Gouma-den!"

Narumi took a half-step back, urge to run still very much there. _Maybe if I grab the kid now..._

But Raidou took the lead here, taking approximately two steps forward and bowing politely. "I'm Kuzunoha Raidou. This is Narumi." He righted himself and motioned to his companion, all business. "I was told you could heal demons. Is that true?"

The man couldn't have looked more delighted if he had just been given a grant to get an actual medical lab and not set up shop in someone's basement. "Yes! I am a scientist specializing in the occult! If you have a demon on you, I would be most obliged to fix their wounds for you!" Narumi wasn't quite convinced, but he allowed the two to continue their conversation.

At least the man had Raidou's trust. Then again, that wasn't exactly good. This boy may have been a hard nut to crack but any idiot that looked into his eyes could tell he didn't know the way of the world.

The young summoner brought out two tubes from his pocket and approached the most likely more than a little mad scientist. "These two were injured badly in my latest endeavor. One is dead." The tone in his voice told both the scientist and detective that he was broken up about it, if not the expression within his eyes. The foreign man, Victor as they were told, swiped up the two tubes and eyed them in the light. "Ah yes, a fae and an elf... These I can treat!" He grinned, looking entirely too excited by the idea of getting to 'heal' two demons. "The price is six thousand yen."

Once more Narumi felt himself twitch. Six _thousand?_ That was half his monthly food bill! But... _I can't stand that broken look on his face... Maybe I can get the Herald to reimburse me..._

Narumi dug into his wallet and pulled out a wad of cash, money he had planned on handing over to the landlord for utilities. He'd have to make a run to the bank later and hope it wasn't dried up again. "Here, kid. Get your pals fixed up."

Raidou offered a small smile to him, eyes still filled with worry. He really didn't want to take his money, but with one demon dead and the other in critical condition he had little choice. Accepting with a low bow he handed the money over to the foreigner, whom took it graciously. "I shall now heal your companions. It will take but a moment. Wait here!" Victor took the tubes and disappeared behind the electrical apparatus, leaving Narumi and Raidou to their own devices as they waited.

"Erm..." Narumi cleared his throat, head still spinning slightly from the sudden weightloss in his wallet. "Say, kid, how long have you been in this biz, exactly?"

Raidou watched the man leave and sighed, looking less than pleased. Never the less, his demons were in capable hands and would soon be healed. "I succeeded the title of Raidou one month ago. I was stationed here a week later, deployed just a few nights ago. This is..." his eyes were cast downward, face sullen. "...my first mission."

That... explained a whole lot actually, including how the boy managed to get so royally beat to hell and left to die, or how he was still so nerve-wracked about being out of touch with his boss. The Herald would put the fear of god into any man, let alone someone who was new to the job. "So you've only been in the city for a few weeks, haven't you? No wonder you seem so lost..." And scared of people, for that matter.

"It's the first time I've ever been outside my village..." Wait, those still existed? Well, yeah, they must have; buried deep in the boonies of the mountains to the north. And if the kid had been that secluded before, only to be thrown into the real world not knowing anything, with no friends or support... it was a damn miracle the boy hadn't lost it. Or ended up dead in the streets, Narumi feared. Did the Herald seriously think it was good idea to leave the kid on his own in a place like this? "Just how old are you anyway, Raidou?"

"Seventeen last month." A short answer as usual, but a surprising one regardless. So Narumi's suspicions were correct. This kid was still in high school and he was out neck deep in the summoning business. Decidedly not a safe place for someone his age. "Jeez, isn't there a child labor law for that?"

Raidou remained silent, eyes forward. He was eager to have those summons back in his hands. So much for conversation.

After a few less than pleasant noises from the rear of the lab, mostly which consisted of running electricity and what could very well be a saw of some sort, Victor emerged, tubes in hand, an almost maniacal grin upon his face. "Behold! The treatment is complete!" The tubes were presented to Raidou, the energy from the creatures within brimming so livelily that even Narumi could sense it. The boy accepted them with a small nod and slipped the tubes into his pocket. Happy they were safe and well again he offered his thanks with a small tip of the hat.

With that task completed, the two excused themselves out of the dark, dreary, not to mention downright _creepy_ laboratory. Narumi, for one, was glad to get a breath of fresh air once they were out in the open again. "I didn't know that guy lived so close! Hell, I didn't even know people like that _existed_ outside of storybooks... Talk about creep show..." But he did what he promised, even if it was a bit out of his price range, Narumi had managed to help the boy in a way he couldn't figure to help himself. At least now his mood looked to be a little brighter... "Are those two up to speed again?" He asked, motioning to the tubes that were tucked away.

"...Yes." As usual the kid was a brilliant conversationalist. But at least he looked happier now, less tense. For that alone, Narumi was grateful. This kid... really no one else but what was in those tubes, did he? "Must be hard for you, kid. The Herald is a tough mistress."

"Not really. I was trained to handle this kind of thing." Though apparently he wasn't trained to handle social situations. The whole thing really irked the older detective. "Do they really train someone so young for a job like that? Hunting demons and all that jazz?" He could hardly believe it. Kids his age should be going to school and studying for exit exams, not running around risking their lives fighting off beings most could not see. Raidou didn't share the same sentiment. Coming from a place that trained children from a very young age to be demon hunters, he knew little else. That was just it. The job was his life. He was the job, and had to be no matter what. In response to the man's question he gave a firm nod. "I was trained since I can remember."

"That's a shame..." Remarked Narumi, "When I was your age, I was taking the exit exam to enter the police academy..." The man mused, pulling his hat off to fan himself. Perhaps today was not the day for a jacket, the heat was already getting to him. The teen beside him gave no reply but instead leant him an ear. He was a good listener at least. Now if only he could get the kid to talk a little more. "Of course I think I was a bit more a delinquent than you..." The man went on, grinning mischievously. "I'm surprised my mother didn't beat my rear raw sometimes." His grin quickly turned into a faraway, somber sort of smile. "Although she did get really worried about me sometimes, especially when I went into the Homicide division." Again, Raidou gave another small nod. But at least this time Raidou looked over at him, though strangely bright blue-grey orbs eying his form. Bewitching, curious. Honestly looking at him like that Narumi had half a mind to suspect the boy was female if he didn't know any better. Eyes like a dame. Weapons indeed, and powerful as any blade or blow.

Somehow Narumi's ears were turning red again. What was _that_ all about?

Perhaps a subject change would help, "...So, now that you're friends are all fixed up, how about lunch?"

Lunch? After he'd just spent all that money on him? Just how well off was this Narumi fellow anyway? Raidou opened his mouth, ready to protest only to be interrupted by his stomach making a nice loud, rather embarrassing growl. The summoner's cheeks pinked and his gaze lowered. With much chagrin he nodded.

Narumi found himself laughing again. Oh, his wallet was going to hurt for this, he was sure. But something told him it'd be worth it in the end. Maybe he could squeeze a few finder's fees out of the local police. Speaking of, had Raidou reported to the cops about the demon yet? He'd ask later, and perhaps get a few spare coins out of it, since he _did_ save the boys life...

_Now, now, Shouhei, that's not proper of a gentleman. Extortion is for gangsters and the military._

"What kinds of food do you like, Raidou-chan?" He leaned a little so he was closer to the boy's face, all smiles again.

If Raidou was uncomfortable by the unnecessary closeness of the man he didn't show it. He kept his eyes forward and face blank, thoughtful. "Anything is fine." Not much was here in the big city that suited his tastes anyway, unless he went to a more traditional area that is. Somewhere things were home cooked with patient preparation and not doled out in mass quantity like an assembly line. All this fast food stuff people often ate out of convenience hurt his stomach.

The detective took this into careful consideration before snapping his fingers in sudden realization. "We have some time before you have to report. Why not get some curry rice? I know a place!" _And I have a tab there!_

Raidou seemed to brighten at that. Curry rice? That sounded mild enough. He accepted with a little smile. That was all the go-ahead Narumi needed. "All right! Then let's head up the street to Tawara-ya. They have some _really_ spicy curry rice. That okay with you, Raidou-chan?"

He nodded once, looking pleased despite the add-on. He'd live with it since the man was being so hospitable. It would be in poor taste to debate it. Besides, the idea of having something a little more traditional put him in a good mood. His stipend from the Yatagarasu didn't afford him much in the way of proper food. He'd been living off convenience food for the last two weeks and he was at his wits end with it.

Narumi pointed heroically up the side alley between the shopping market and the Ginrou-kaku building, "Onward, to curry rice!"

To this awkward display of total dorkery Raidou found himself laughing a little. Just a bit of a chuckle under his breath, barely audible. But the smile accounted for more than enough. And what a glorious smile it was, even more so that it was hardly ever seen. The detective decided then and there that the six thousand and two bowls of curry rice on his tab would be well worth it if he could see the morose boy smile like that again.

The sun was just beginning to set when the two of them pulled up just outside a large expanse of woods. He brought his clunker of a coupe to a stop on the old street-car tracks, long abandoned for the sake of busses and bullet trains. None of them went out this far anymore, not enough people coming to pay their respects, he reckoned.

They called it Shinoda Shrine, or that was as close to a name as it would have; a location and what it was meant to be. The place was one of the less popular and far less kempt shrines to the Goddess Inari; while the larger more heavily trafficked shrines were kept in good condition, this one hidden far in the woods at the end of a mile of crumbling steps fell by the wayside. Most tourists would get about half-way and turn back if they even bothered to climb it as well.

But Narumi knew why the shrine was still there, why Raidou was ordered to come there. The detective himself had found himself before the altar in Shinoda on a few occasions, all of which lead back to the boy's employer. This was where the Herald could be called.

"Ready to face the music, Jouhei?" Gouto, as usual, set the tone for the ill-fated meeting. While the feline guardian was in just as much hot-water as he was, somehow Raidou was feeling the heat far more. Gouto didn't have anything to lose, Raidou had everything and then some.

The kid was nervous, more than. But what could he do? He'd failed the clan and fainted on the job from his injuries before completing the task assigned. He was as good as cursed if not worse. Still he traversed the unsteady terrain that was the old steps, having to mind his footing so as not to slip and break something. Narumi followed close behind, noting the boy's apparent worry. The Herald was a scary woman and the Yatagarasu was definitely a force to be reckoned with, but what he really had to wonder if they'd be that harsh to Raidou even if he was new to the scene. "You all right, kid?" he felt compelled to ask.

"I'm fine," came the reply, almost automatic. Something he'd noticed about the kid already; when it came to anything involving his job he suddenly lost that sense of warmth he could feel just hours ago when they were having curry and chatting about useless things. He became robotic, cold, like he was focused on his task and nothing else. But he couldn't help but notice Raidou was stiff like he had a pole up his back and his hands seemed to be trembling just the slightest. Nothing one would noticed unless they really looked hard but it was there. _He's really shook up about this, isn't he?_

The two finally reached the top of the winding stairs and were presented with the image of a once glorious shrine, now rotting and crumbling around their ears. Yet even with age it appeared as though the shrine itself was being fixed up, likely the work of some rookies on the team trying to get in the good graces of the Herald in hopes of better assignment. Good luck.

In the center was a small donation box and a faded, braided rope connecting to the prayer bell. Narumi knew what happened next; just a tug and the Herald would appear from the shadows. How, he wasn't sure, but just because he didn't know the physics behind it didn't mean it was impossible to do.

"Well, go on." The cat at Raidou's feet urged. Now or never.

Raidou was rightfully hesitant but he'd accepted his fate, made peace with it on the long trip up the stairway to the shrine. One of only a few possible outcomes would happen after he pulled that bell, most if not all unpleasant. He'd likely never see Narumi again. The idea hurt a little. Just when he'd met someone he could almost call a friend.

The young man climbed the last few steps up to the shrine platform, stopping just as he set foot on even ground. Slowly he turned back to the man who had cared for him, helped him in suck a dire time... and smiled sadly. "Thank you. It was nice while it lasted," was all that was said before he turned back to the little broken down shrine. He let out a little breath, preparing himself as he took the rope in hand and tugged.

_Nice while it lasted...? Wait, they aren't seriously..._ "Hey kid, wait-!"

Before Narumi could finish, the shadows reached out from behind the platform like a dark mist, materializing into the form of a woman wearing a traditional kimono, a cowl concealing half her face. She regarded the young man with a slight nod and little more. "Greetings, Kuzunoha Raidou the fourteenth... I see you are well enough to walk again."

The boy slowly turned to her, regarding her with a low bow at the waist. "I was well taken care of." The comment caused the Herald to turn her attentions to the smartly dressed detective. "Narumi Shouhei, you have indeed repaid your debt to the Yatagarasu. You have my thanks for aiding the young summoner."

With such praise the man couldn't help but feel a little awkward, "I just did what anyone would do if they saw someone in trouble."

Somehow the Herald seemed less than convinced of that, but refrained from commenting. Instead her unseen gaze turned back to the boy before her. "And what of your mission to dispose of the Cerberus?"

The summoner righted himself, giving her a full report. "I trailed it for two days through Tsukudo and engaged him. I was unable to dispatch it but I was able to damage it significantly."

"So you were unable to defeat the Cerberus whom killed three civilians?" It was less a question and more of a general statement. A generally demeaning statement; you could just hear the disdain in the woman's voice.

"Yes." Raidou replied straight out. There were no excuses or 'but I will's, no petty promises. He told it like it was. Best to be straight with that kind of woman. You'd live longer that way. That at least pleased the Herald, "Then, what do you intend to do, young summoner?"

"Track it down and lay it."

The Herald nodded, pointing a single finger to the boy. "You are to return to your base of operations and prepare for tonight. Do not rest until the Cerberus has been driven back to whence it came. Am I clear, Kuzunoha Raidou the fourteenth?"

"Yes." Cold and firm, like a proper soldier. Narumi could see it then, the resolve in the boy's eyes. He'd find the beast and kill it, even if it cost him his life. But he also seemed relieved. It made him wonder if he'd just gotten off the hook or something.

The Herald lowered her hand and slowly began seeping back into the darkness, "You have your orders. Do not allow another innocent to fall to this beast, young summoner."

And then, she was gone, the three of them letting out a collective breath now that they were in the clear once more. Of the group, Gouto was first to speak, "Shake a leg, Jouhei. We need to get back to base and prepare as soon as possible."

"Yes..." Without another word the young Kuzunoha turned and hurried off down the path, passing Narumi without so much as a goodbye. But before he could slip into the night just as the Herald had, a firm hand grabbed the boy's wrist. "Hey, hold on a second. Where're you going?" The boy stopped only when he was at arm's length, unable to go any further without dragging Narumi with him. Still he did not turn to him but neither did he try to pull away. "...I have to go back to base. I'll have to prepare for tonight."

Narumi just centered a look at the back of his head, "Aren't you forgetting something? Your gear is back at the Agency."

"I'll pick it up and leave."

The man's brow twitched visibly, but he let it slide. He knew the kid for what, a day? Maybe two? He really had no say in his life or his life choices. Still, something about how he was being shrugged off really irked him. "...I'll drive you back then."

"I'll walk from the agency," he insisted, gently tugging his arm, a good hint he wanted to be let go of now. Narumi complied, dropping the boy's hand. "Fine by me." At least there was a compromise. Raidou continued toward the car, Gouto following closely behind.

The ride back to the Agency was completely silent save for the rumble of the two-seater's engine. The mood between them had taken a complete 180, and it was severely bothering the older man. One moment Raidou was damn near cheerful, discussing benign topics like music and what kind of desserts he liked, then suddenly he was sullen and cold, as if every bit of emotion Narumi had managed to draw out from him had been sucked away by the Herald's boney hand.

This is what the Yatagarasu does to people, he reminded himself. They train soldiers in a way not even the militaries of the Western cultures would see as humane, and Raidou here was no exception. He'd continue on his mission even if it meant his own death, because facing the underground organization with negative results could mean death in itself. It came right down to warrior's honor. Success or die trying.

As they climbed the stairs to the third-floor office, Narumi paused ahead of the kid. "Say, Raidou... Earlier, before you talked to the Herald..."

Raidou was still very much the blank shell he had been the whole car ride. He was no more intrigued with his question, no more interested in it than any normal person would be on finding out the exact number of years it took for reel film to rot. And he answered it as such; with an only semi-interested gaze. "When you said 'It was fun while it lasted'..." Narumi pressed on, a slight twinge at his heart when he remembered that sad smile on the boy's face. "What did you expect the Herald to do to you?"

"It didn't happen, so it doesn't matter..." the boy muttered, moving past him on the stairwell. Narumi wanted to pry, hell, he wanted to grab the boy and shake him for being such a sullen little robot, but that wouldn't help matters, would it? Instead, he allowed him into the office to fetch his things, watching him with a fresh cigarette in his mouth. Raidou was quick about his work, hurriedly stepping into the bathroom to change into his ruined uniform. He came out with it on, as well as he torn cloak. The clothing Narumi had let him borrow was folded neatly and set on his bed before the summoner went to leave, strapping on his little array of concealed weaponry as he went.

Trained eyes observed his movements up until the boy got to the door. Finally, Narumi spoke again. "Raidou, before you go..."

The paused at the door, turned and waited for him to speak as he toed on his shoes. He offered him at least that. A business card was offered to him, "If you need anything, even if it's just a place to crash for the night, you know how to reach me." As he spoke his eyes never once left Raidou's. Narumi felt for him, he truly did. This kid was out seeing things many would never be able to handle seeing, and not just that, he was fighting them day after day. His very life depended on these continued battles... yet he still pressed on with no one but himself and an ornery cat. The man felt, if anything, he could at least offer the boy a shoulder to lean on if he needed it.

At first the boy thought not to accept, just tell the detective that he should put him out of his mind, just forget about him. But when he took a second to think on it...

He didn't know what made him take the offered card. He left swiftly after that, hurrying back to the little flat in the middle of Ginza he called his base.

From the bay window of his third floor bedroom, Narumi watched the boy flee into the night, taking a long drag on his cigarette. "Kid..." he murmured, flicking the already consumed butt out the window and into the still damped gutters, "Be safe out there." _And come back a live, please._ He added for his own sanity. Now there was naught more to do but fix himself a quick meal and rest, and preferably try to get his mind off the young boy who forced his smiles away, hiding his emotions from the world.

If he was even allowed to feel them at all.


	4. Chapter 4

All was quiet for a good solid week. Nothing crazy in the news, no murders of really all that much crime... and no sign of the kid. It was like he'd vanished along with the Cerberus he'd been tracking. Not a damn thing. It was enough to easily make a chain smoker out of the detective.

Not even a case to keep his mind free of worry. But as soon as he started worrying, he would stop and ask himself why? Why was he so worked up about a kid he just met? Not just any kid, but a trained summoner, a soldier for an organization that raised killers of demons. The kid could handle himself, right?

But that was just it; he could, yet that night where he collapsed in the alley right in front of him, not far from bleeding out on the pavement as the rain soaked his battered body...

The clock had struck a late hour when Narumi went for another cigarette, only to find the pack empty. "Oh, damn it all!" With a frustrated growl, Narumi crumpled the empty pack and tossed it into the trashcan. This whole worrying thing wouldn't be as bad if he had something to do. But no, the blog sites were all but dead, nothing of quality to read on any news feeds, and no new cases. Hell, he'd take tailing an adulterous wife over sitting on his duff fretting about some kid who wasn't much willing to take his help with anything. It was as nerve-wracking as it was infuriating.

"Maybe I should call Tae..." he wondered out loud, contemplating whether he should start nibbling on the used butts to get his nicotine fix or scrounge up the last of his smoke money to get a carton from Konnou-ya. "She could have something that needs doing. A scoop, tail a lead for her..." He came to the sudden realization that he was considering calling Tae, the one person he intentionally _avoided_ when it came to information and even jobs purely out of previous annoyances and false, internet-fueled rumors. The pure desperation he was feeling was completely unrivaled save for the time he was flat broke, maxed his credit cards, and all he wanted was a pack of smokes, and that was back when he was nineteen and first on his own. The only way it could get worse would be for the land-lady to call and raise his rent.

As if on cue, his cell phone began to rang, vibrating in the drawer he always kept it in. The man groaned as he reached for it, thinking it really could be the land-lady ready to strike her financial wrath down upon him...

But he didn't recognize the number. Wait, how could that be? Or wait, it could be a case... Even if it was late. Stranger things could happen. Swiftly Narumi answered, setting the phone on the table in speaker-mode while he gathered a pen and paper, prepared to take notes. "Narumi Detective Agency, how can I help you?"

The other end of the line was quiet save for the noises of wind and the occasional car. This went on long enough for Narumi to contemplate hanging up. But just when he was about to press the 'end' button a voice spoke; a very familiar voice that sounded not only tired but forced. "...Narumi-san?"

Narumi's heart leapt into his chest. "Kid, is that you?" Could it really be? Or had he fallen asleep at his desk sometime after that last news video? Yet, somehow it seemed too bizarre to be a dream... There was a small sniffle from across the line, the sound of chattering teeth being bought every step of the way. It was raining outside again wasn't it? Kid must have been freezing. "You said I could call if I needed anything... I wanted to see if your offer is still there."

The clack of teeth, the slight shiver on the boy's voice... Narumi's heart plummeted into the pit of his stomach. Yet he did his best to keep his usual calm demeanor in place. No need to make the boy feel bad for calling. "Yeah, of course, kid. What's up?"_ Please don't be injured..._ He pleaded mentally.

"If it's not too much to ask, I need a place to stay tonight." That was all he'd say. The fact that he'd gotten his leg shredded open was irrelevant. He'd walk home if he could but with a wound like that he'd be lucky if he didn't see bone try to make friendly with the outside world doing that. "W-would that...be alright?" There was strain in his voice, that much was apparent. Well it didn't much matter. If the man came for him, and he most likely would, he'd find out about his state soon enough.

If that was all, Narumi would readily comply. "Sure, where are you exactly? Somewhere in Shinjuku?"

"I'm a block down from the old cinema near that curry restaurant you took me last week."

_That close?_ Narumi walked over to click on the light in the office, taking the phone off of speaker in the process and holding it to his ear. "That close? Do you remember how to find the office? Or..." his mind wandered further when he heard the tiny pained grunt from the boy on the other end, "...Do you want me to come get you?"

Another pause, this one shorter. "...I'll be waiting at the payphone at the corner." Meaning 'please come get me...' clearly. Kid must have been in a bind again. Narumi got the hint and grabbed his coat off the rack near the door. "I'll be there in ten minutes. Just sit tight, okay Raidou?" _Please be okay..._

The line disconnected, effectively ending the call. By the sound of it the kid didn't seem okay at all. Without further ado the man slipped on his coat and rushed out the door, praying the boy wasn't missing a limb or something as equally grotesque. "Kid, you better not have gotten torn up by that Cerberus again..."

As he hurried down the street Narumi could already tell he wasn't going to get much sleep that night...

With the wind, his umbrella was all but useless to him. The precipitation was much colder this time, sending a chill down Narumi's neck as he jogged up the street towards the main drag. Given the time and weather no one was on the streets, all the shops closing up with the lack of business. He was almost thankful for that; if Raidou was in the condition he suspected he was in, then the less people around to witness him in that state the better. The Yatagarasu did not take kindly to people whom could potentially expose them; it's why Narumi was kept on such a tight leash when it came to matters from the crow.

The street light above the phone booth flickered with the wind, casting eerie shadows on the ground below it. The wind was really whipping up, spraying Narumi with the cold water as he finally approached the boy waiting for him. "Raidou-chan!" He called to him over the howl of the wind, beckoning him over. Didn't this kid own an umbrella?

Raidou's head shot up when he heard the man's voice. He smiled just a touch as he saw him rushing over to him, and tried to move closer, meet him half way, but got a shot of pain up his leg when he tried. Yep, he wasn't going anywhere without help. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving him with a bleeding wound that smarted like hell.

Stifling a yell, thankful it was drowned out by the weather, Raidou stayed the hell put and waited like a good boy.

An umbrella was held over the boy's head, shielding him from the brunt of the downpour. "Hey, why are you standing out here? You should've found an awning or something..." He gave the boy a once over. At first sight he seemed in good shape, but his face... It was paler than normal, and the look in his eyes was something akin to panic. He had a feeling he knew why too.

The summoner nodded, lowering his gaze. He felt a little foolish now asking for his man's help but... "I'm having a little trouble walking..." he muttered pointing to his right thigh. It looked fine enough from far away, but when Narumi noticed the gash in the uniform pants...

Another flicker of the street light above them made it all the more clear. Narumi tossed his umbrella aside and knelt next to the boy, slender fingers carefully pulling the torn fabric away. A long, jagged gash tore open the skin and muscles of his thigh, apparently from a clawed beast of some sort. Thankfully whatever had attacked him missed the artery, but it was still deep and bleeding heavily. This was bad; how was he even mobile up until now? "You moron... Please tell me you were in the neighborhood and didn't walk here..."

"...I wasn't far..." He'd been in Harumi at the time of the incident. The beast was dead thanks to him, no longer able to harm the residents, but with himself too exhausted to control his demons he could do nothing more about his injury than tie a strip of fabric around it and hope for the best.

"Damn it, kid..." Narumi straightened, trotting over to fetch his umbrella before the wind could blow it away. "Did you at least kill the thing that did this to you?"

"It's dead," he reassured, watching the man gather up his fallen umbrella. "I don't know how I was able to get here. Running on adrenaline probably..."

Narumi sighed, doing his best to hide the worry. So far, so good. "It can't be helped then. Can you make it back to the office?"

Sheepishly the boy averted his eyes, seeming almost ashamed. Quietly, voice almost drowned out by the storm, he responded. "..I don't think I can walk anymore." Again, Narumi somehow expected this. Didn't mean he didn't worry though; if anything it made the worry worse. The umbrella was handed to the boy, "Hold this and climb onto my back." He ordered, turning around and crouching slightly so the boy could get on easier. Raidou was a bit surprised by the man's actions. He almost thought to decline, but then he realized that he'd just hurt himself worse if he did. He easily took the umbrella and climbed onto the other man's back with much embarrassment and a good deal of effort with his leg being torn open like that.

Narumi carefully adjusted the boy on his back, wary of his hands on his legs. Instead of cupping his thighs, he held onto the boy beneath his legs, feeling the blood from his wound sweeping into the sleeves of his shirt. "Hang on tight, okay? I don't need you getting a concussion on top of this... You're banged up enough for my tastes..."

"I understand," was the only reply given, thin arms coming to wrap around the man's shoulders. He was right though, jibe aside. The boy wasn't in good enough shape to afford a fall. But cruel pokes at his condition aside, Narumi was just worried about the boy. Once again he had fallen victim to the beasts he slayed in the name of the Yatagarasu. First the Cerberus, and now... "What was it you were fighting anyhow?" He asked as he made his way down the main strip, catching as many overhanging shop fronts as he could so they could try to keep dry.

After a short silence Raidou spoke. "Tsuchigumo.." Ever the conversationalist. Narumi decided then he was having none of the silence bullshit that night. "What's it like? Was it hard to beat?" Open ended questions, an attempt at getting the boy to at least _try_ having a conversation with him. It didn't do all that much. "A spider-like creature. It wasn't as strong as some."

Narumi frowned, rounding the corner towards the back alley. "Spider, huh? Those things give me the willies... Does that mean your injury is a spider bite? Do I need to take you to the hospital for poison instead or something?"

"It's just a scratch..."

"You can't walk, Raidou. Or did you call me because you missed me?"

Letting out a little sigh the boy corrected himself. "I'm not poisoned." There. Better and clear to the point. The detective groaned, giving up that topic for now. "You know, you give off the impression that you dislike talking to me, kid." He grouched, taking another turn to head up the stairs to the entrance of the Ginrou-kaku complex.

"...Sorry." Raidou muttered, not really sure what else to say. He just wasn't good with words. But to help the detective with the burden of carrying him he opened the door to the building when they reached it, having to lean halfway over his shoulder to get at it. "Easy, easy... Don't want to put too much pressure on that leg till I get it stitched, got it?" Narumi chided, almost shutting the door on Gouto. Oh, so the cat _was_ with him. No wonder Narumi felt the hatred of a thousand dames concentrated on his ankles. The cat didn't like him, he knew that for sure.

Up the stairs and another odd fumbling of a doorknob and a somewhat out of breath Narumi was inside with his charge. The boy weighed only a bit less than him and was all legs, but it still irked him that he wasn't able to run through the streets with dead weight on his back like in the old days. Back when he was in the force, he trained for worse case scenarios where he'd have to carry a fellow officer out of such situations like a gunfight or a burning building. To not only have himself winded after just a few blocks and three flights at a leisurely pace was damn near disappointing. He'd chastise himself for being out of shape later; for now he needed to treat the kid's wound before it got worse.

Narumi rounded the raised platform and stopped at the couch, carefully letting the boy down on the couch. Not like he wouldn't have to steam clean the thing from the last time he took him the battered boy. "Shimmy out of your pants and cover yourself with that blanket. I need to gather a few things..."

Raidou easily rest on the couch, happy to finally have all the pressure off his leg. But now came the challenging part. While Narumi went off to gather supplies Raidou was left to strip out of his wet clothes. He started with the top half, losing the cloak and jacket. Next went the shirt, carefully eased out from its tucked position inside the waist of his pants. After being unbuttoned the shirt soon was added to the growing pile of soaked soon to be laundry on the floor.

Now came the part; the pants. He was not looking forward to this at all. He took his time unbuckling the belt and undoing the pants. He couldn't help but hesitate knowing the pain he'd be in. But it needed to be done or the detective couldn't get to the wound. Taking a shaky, slow breath to calm his nerves he slowly hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his trousers and carefully began inching them off. Down the hips and over the buttocks wasn't that bad. Hell, just to make it easier on himself he toed off his shoes and pushed them off to the side with the foot of his good leg. Sliding them down the legs was hell. He had to bite his lip to keep from yelling, and just his luck that Narumi would reappear when he was stifling his cries of pain. "Careful, don't wanna agitate that thing." Narumi placed a hand over his, taking the waistband of his pants in his stead. His eyes initially wandered to the boy's dampened briefs, but quickly turned to the more important image of Raidou's torn leg. It was worse than he thought...

Tugging the pants off the rest of the way, Narumi began digging through his supplies. "Now, you've got two choices. I could knock you out..." His hands rummaged through his medical kit and pulled out an amber colored bottle with an obscure label, "Or I can give you a local. Your choice." One could ask why or how Narumi obtained such a thing as a high-powered topical analgesic, but now really wasn't the time. If Raidou couldn't go to the emergency room, he needed to get patched up by Narumi. End of story.

Raidou was occupying himself for the most part with staying conscious. He barely heard the question, eyes focusing and unfocusing, heart pounding in his chest. He'd lost a lot of blood due to the throbbing injury he was suffering with. At this point it almost seemed better to knock the kid out and let him sleep it off. But in the end it came down to trust. He trusted the man enough to patch him up without fail yes, but it was also out of respect. Narumi had questions for him and without pain he'd be able to answer them better. He requested the local.

Fair enough. Narumi reached into the kit again and retrieved a sterile-wrapped syringe. He hadn't had to do this since a hostage situation broke out in the middle of a banquet. Of course that was a gunshot to the leg, and the guy's limb needed to be amputated after the fact... but he got the bullet out, at least.

Narumi just hoped he wouldn't be amputating anything tonight. The wound was still trickling blood and the boy was looking worse for the wear... he needed to act quickly. "Raidou, I'm going to inject the local... Stay with me, okay? I need you awake for just a bit longer, then you can rest."

_Just long enough to make sure the anesthetic works... that shit's old._ Narumi added mentally.

The boy fought off the haze enough to give a small nod of the head. He didn't feel too hot right now. He was sure by now the only reason he wasn't out cod now was because it hurt so much. He didn't even want to look at the damn thing. Looking at it would just make it hurt worse, like he was acknowledging the pain was real or something. Instead he focused on what the man was doing. "You had questions..." A little hint. Well, more of a series of words that meant something else yet very similar. It was almost like the kid spoke a different language sometimes. But thankfully Narumi was beginning to understand him. He was basically saying 'keep talking to me so I can focus.'

"Questions? Oh..." Narumi went about preparing his supplies, keeping his eyes on the boy as much as possible while he worked. Now that he was trying to focus on him, the man was having a hard time conjuring up anything aside from little inane things... _Well, good enough._ "Where do you live right now, Raidou?"

At first the boys instinct was to keep silent, but at this point he knew it would be counterproductive. Besides, with this man willing to aid him it would be beneficial for him to know. He didn't have to give him an exact location.. "..Ginza... Near the mall..."

"Ginza..." Narumi pulled out a pair of gloves from their packaging, "Not the safest place... Is it nice? Can't imagine the Yatagarasu would pay for anything more than a flat..."

"It's fine..." Just a tiny hole in the wall flat. Nothing grand but it was livable. Narumi pressed on, "What kind of flat is it? Describe it to me..." Now he was getting detailed, but the more he could get the boy to talk the better. Raidou knew he shouldn't be saying but..."It's very small. One room but it's got a bathroom with a shower." He thought on it more, trying to think of more detail. "It's got a small kitchenette on the side by the entrance. No real appliances; just a hotplate, microwave and fridge." He smiled slightly, holding back a wince. "Mn... I don't use the microwave at all..."

"I take it you're the type to make home-cooked meals, huh?" The man returned to his side, prodding his thigh to find a good spot for the injection. Never in a million years would the detective expect this boy to cry out over anything, but damned if he didn't for that. Fingers desperately grasped at the couch cushions, Raidou biting his bottom lip nearly hard enough to draw blood to stifle another yell. He was embarrassed enough with the first one. He didn't need to tarnish his honor any further.

The man had not expected that, which in itself bewildered him. Even though Raidou was some savior of legend, trained by the Yatagarasu to hide every emotion, he was still very much a child, and children felt pain just like any other person would do. If it were him, he'd be a lot more vocal about someone poking an open wound on his leg. In fact, he'd be swinging at whoever was.

A warm hand caressed his cheek, shaky but still firm. "Breathe, Raidou." Narumi soothed, a small smile on his face, the worry apparent on his brow. "I'm going to make a few injections, so just hang in there, it'll go numb in a bit." The hand was pulled away, stopping to give Raidou's a little squeeze before pulling away completely. "It's okay to cry out if you're in pain, you know."

The boy didn't answer, only stared with pained bewilderment of his own. This man was unlike anyone he'd met before. Strong and kind even in the face of danger or grim reality, calm and collected above all. It didn't make any sense. How could a person show so many emotions and be so passionate yet peaceful. It was something out of the bounds of his understanding.

Even when Narumi continued to work on his leg he made no more cries, refused to make a noise. He just watched the man work, hands gripping tightly to the couch cushions if the pain became too much.

"This may sting a bit..." Narumi muttered as he loaded up the needle for the local. With the size of the gash, he figured it'd take four injections to numb it enough to be less painful. Uncomfortable, yes, but it wouldn't hurt per se. "Ready?" He looked to the young summoner, giving him back some control over the situation. Raidou offered a single nod, readying himself for the pain he knew was to come before relief. "Just... Just do what you have to."

"Righto." Narumi took just a moment to sterilize the area with an alcohol swab before puncturing the skin with the needle, slowly injecting the anesthetic into his leg. A little gasp was all he got in response, a witch accompanying it. Raidou did not move nor yell. But his eyes were intently on the detectives hands, watching him work. Three more injections, then they'd have to wait a few minutes for the anesthetic to take effect. In the meantime, Narumi gathered the supplies needed to stitch the wound, thankful that the bleeding had mostly stopped by then. "Shouldn't be too long now..." he remarked, gathering the thick thread he'd need to sew the boy back up. "You still there?"

"I'm fine." The usual reply, but the kid didn't really look like he was 'fine'. He looked a little out of it. This boy had a tendency to lose blood like crazy. It was really beginning to worry Narumi. If he didn't work fast, he'd have no choice but to take the kid to a clinic or something. "Just a bit longer, okay?" He gave the skin around the wound a tentative poke to gauge the kid's reaction.

The boy did not react, the leg finally starting to go numb. Raidou smiled weakly at that. It wasn't perfect but at least it didn't really hurt anymore. "It's fine. You can start now if you want." Brave kid, getting his leg sewn up by a man he barely knew in his office of all placed without batting an eye. Kid had guts, Narumi gave him that.

A thick blanket was placed over the boy's torso to keep him warm while he worked. He was seriously worried the kid would go into shock in the middle of him working with the amount of blood he had lost. "If you start to feeling like you're going to pass out, tell me, got that?"

"I will", he said firmly, thin arms pulling the blanket closer to keep it from getting in the way of Narumi's work.

The detective set to work, first taking a moment to clean the wound. Proceeding without doing so would be asking for the boy to die on his watch. No, not today. He grabbed a bottle of peroxide from the kit and pulled the wound open a bit, pouring chemical over it and watching it bubble out the debris. Narumi took his time to carefully clean out the wound, dabbing it dry with a bit of gauze cloth. Raidou watched him throughout, face blank and eyes tired. He wasn't fearful as any other kid his age would be. Instead he seemed calmly interested. Eerily so. Was this a regular occurrence? This only roused more questions in Narumi's mind. "Hey, kid... Why didn't you have one of your fairies heal you this time too? Instead of, you know, having to have me do this again..." A valid question, one that luckily got Raidou's attentions enough to wake him fully. He looked like he was ready to drift off to slumberland any time now. "No mag..."

"Mag?" Narumi continued to dab up blood and dirt from the wound, tossing the used gauze aside.

"Magnetite." he replied, sitting back a little and pulling the blanket closer. It was really cold in the office he noticed, or was it just him? "A naturally occurring spiritual essence within living creatures."

Narumi leveled a look at him as he began to thread the needle. "Wanna put that in layman's terms for me?"

The boy smiled lightly, looking more than a little cute. Kid really did look totally different when he was tired. Too adorable. "Demons feed off of it. Without mag I can't summon and I have no energy for them to feed on to cast the spell to heal me."

So in the end, it was a sort of mutualistic relationship between the demon and the summoner. Good to know, "So I'm guessing you used up too much of your mag and weren't able to call the pixie to heal you?" He inquired, finally getting started with the stitching, slow and steady, threading the needle through the skin flaps and pinching them together with his fingers so they'd close. "Something like that, yes..." Raidou continued to watch the man work, glad he was getting the treatment he so desperately needed. "Narumi-san...?"

Narumi tugged the needle outward, pulling the thread taut to close up the wound. "Yeah? Sorry, does it hurt too much?"

"No it's fine... I just wanted to thank you for helping me again." he muttered, laying his head back against the couch. "I didn't thank you properly before, so I'm doing it now."

The man snorted, going in for another stitch, "Kid, I'm just grateful you called... If you didn't get this thing sewn up, you'd lose your leg for sure. And besides..." his voice quieted, hands busied by the task. "I couldn't help but worry about you while you were gone... You've got it rough, Raidou." Now Raidou could have made a comment, sure. He could have told him that he was just fine, that he had it no rougher than anyone else, that he was just doing his job. He could have, but he kept quiet and let the detective do hiss work.

The two of them sat in silence, the only sound the ticking of the clock on the wall and Gouto's occasionally mewling to Raidou. Narumi couldn't understand him, but Raidou was answering him like he was speaking plain Japanese. "How are you holding up? Still all there?" The cat asked, perching on the arm of the sofa, watching Narumi work. "I'm fine, Gouto... I'm just tired..." he muttered, eyes slipping closed. Gouto's tail swished behind him; clearly he was worried about the boy too. "Try to stay awake, Jouhei." The cat bat the boy's nose, but before he could make too much of a fuss Narumi brushed him away from the kid. "Damn cat, leave him be! He's not gonna be up and around anytime soon, so just worry your little kitty head over something else."

Gouto yowled in protest, "Heathen! Jouhei, did you hear what he said to me?"

"Talk to me about something..." Raidou muttered in the detectives direction, ignoring the cat. No, he was following orders and trying to stay awake.

"Hm?" Narumi turned his attention to the boy briefly, blinking. Now he wanted to talk? "How about this... You ask _me_ questions, and I'll answer." A social exercise, perfect for getting the boy's mind off his pain and keep him conscious and aware. It got him thinking at least. There were plenty of questions he had, very few had been answered. "What do you do for work? You always seem to be around when I need help."

A fair place to start. "I'm a detective, so my hours are either entirely occupied or not occupied at all. Work's been slow recently..." This was almost entirely because he preferred cases that made quick easy money, and those seemed in short supply as of late. "Sometimes I get calls from the police task force to help out with an investigation, but rarely cops like Futsuo and Waruo... The police themselves don't like working with me."

"You said something before about training at the academy on being on the force... We're you an officer before?"

Narumi nodded, "Yeah, for about seven years I was in their special investigations division... Drug busts, gang warfare, kidnappings... you name it, I've probably played a part in the case." Not to mention serial murderers and the occasional covert assignment into the seediest places in the Tokyo underground.

"Sounds like a good place to make a difference... What made you leave?"

The man's shoulder's slumped a bit, his back becoming more hunched, more focused on his work. "It's... a long story. Let's just say I discovered that there were evil people even on the lawful side and didn't want to have anything to do with them anymore." Narumi wasn't quite ready to tell him of that particular tale, not yet. It was something that still stung to this day, nearly seven years after the fact, and he wasn't ready to reveal how twisted the people he was trying to protect could be.

Raidou accepted this answer, looking once again like he was headed for a blackout. A good cat bite on the fingers brought him back to reality with a loud gasp, body jumping. Unfortunately Gouto's good idea on keeping him awake almost got the needle that was stitching him up broken off in his leg. Narumi once again had to bat away the offending feline, "Damnit, cat, I will throw you outside if you-" The man's eyes fell upon the boy, who was starting to look worse, face devoid of color, lips and hands trembling... "Kid, keep talking. I'm almost done." He urged the boy, hands working double time to get the wound sewn up.

Raidou nodded slowly, blinking the spots from his eyes. "What should I talk about?"

"Anything. Like the hell is up with your cat, for instance. You keep talking to him."

"He just wants me to stay awake. Gouto is just worried for my safety." Not exactly the answer he was looking for. Narumi hastily threaded the needle again, more than halfway done with his leg now. "No, I mean do you actually understand him?"

"I understand him fine."

Narumi cocked a brow, "...How? All I hear is cat noises... You speak cat?" Raidou smiled a little at the comment and shook his head. "Only summoners can understand Gouto."

The smile alone was enough to make Narumi's heart skip a beat. Raidou had such a sweet smile... _So it was a summoner-only thing. Well, at least the kid has someone to talk to._ Narumi continued working, making small talk as he did, nearing the end of his stitching endeavor. The local had to be wearing off soon... Raidou was almost thankful to have the pain coming back. It kept him awake, as did the slow stinging sensation of the needle-which seemed a hundred times bigger than it really was-dragging slowly through his flesh.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Narumi snipped the thread and knotted it against his leg. "Done. Let me clean it up and wrap it, then I'll put you to bed. Sound fair?" There was a hint of triumph in the man's voice as he sat back to eye his handiwork. A fine stitching job, and he probably just saved the kid's life. If the Yatagarasu didn't think he was a fine gentleman after this, nothing would. He just hoped the kid would make it through the night.

"Narumi-san... I think I'm blacking out..."

The detective jolted into action, tossing the needle aside and shuffling over to the boy, "C'mon, kid, you can sleep in a few minutes... Just focus on me." Now that he had kept him awake, he was worried what would happen if the boy passed out. Sure, knocking him out was an option before, but with the kid having lost so much blood he feared he'd go into shock and not wake up. "At the very least drink some juice or something... Do you like juice?"

Raidou stared blurrily up at the man, offering a shaky nod. "Juice is fine..." He muttered, swooning. Before the boy could pass out, Gouto was there, pouncing onto his chest and talking to him animatedly. "Jouhei, I know you're tired, but we need to make sure you're not gonna die in your sleep, so stay with us, got it?" While the cat did his task for him, Narumi set to cleaning up the wound and wrapping it. His toes still had color, which was a good sign, but the boy's lips... "Raidou, any other wounds I need to know about?"

The boy slowly reached up to pet Gouto's fur, trying his damnedest to stay conscious. "It's the only big one." Meaning there were more. Narumi frowned and started checking around his limbs for any more life-threatening wounds. "Where else?"

"It's just a few scrapes. It doesn't matter..." So said the boy whom thought nine inch gash in his leg was nothing. The detective continued inspecting him, finding little more than scraped up palms and forearms from falling. Relieved, he stood, dusting off his damp jeans. "I'm going to get you some juice. Don't try to move, okay?" A little nod was given in response, Raidou watching him as he left. Now alone with his cat he apologized for messing up once again. To that, Gouto just shook his head, "You took care of the demon and completed your mission. Personal injuries are a part of your job; it's not like the Yatagarasu expects you to be invincible." In other words, as long as you completed the mission, it didn't matter if you got hurt in the process. The Yatagarasu truly was a cold organization.

"And relying on a man that has no affiliation with the clan?"

Gouto shook his head, "Of course the Elders would teach reliance only on one's self, even down to taking care of injuries..." Never making a personal tie, never relying on others. "But that isn't always possible... I won't condemn you for getting injured and needing medical attention, so long as you find someone you trust to do it."

Relieved, Raidou smiled lightly with a small nod. "Narumi-san seems reliable enough... don't you think...?" The cat rolled his eyes at the mention of the man. "His home is the picturesque of a bachelor and I'm unsure of motivation, but at least his medical practices are up to par... Your leg looks professionally done." How? Even he wasn't sure. One had to wonder how much practice Narumi had with such tasks, but that was the least of their worries. Raidou was stitched up, and that was all that counted.

"Yeah..." Oh, there it was again. He could feel it; the blackness over his sight and mind. Before he could stop it this time he lost consciousness, upper half slipping to the side. He toppled over, landing flat on the couch with his face planted into the cushions and Gouto still in his arms. The cat yowled in panicked protest, "Jouhei! Jouhei!"

"Raidou!" At that very moment Narumi returned, a glass of apple juice in his hand. He rushed to the boy's side and shook his shoulders, trying to rouse him. "Raidou, hey, wake up! Can you hear me?" The yowling did nothing. He was unresponsive to the shakes and calls of his name. He was down and out for the count. Narumi muttered a string of curses before adjusting the boy on the couch, checking to make sure he was breathing normally and hadn't actually died while he was searching the fridge for a drink that wasn't expired. Still alive, but dead weight. With his leg how it was, he wasn't sure if he could safely drag him into the bedroom. The office would be the bedroom that night.

Narumi left long enough to pull the blankets and pillows from his bed off and drag them into the main room, spreading the thicker ones over the boy, propping his head on a pillow, then making a pallet for himself on the floor. Not much he could do now but wait and hope the kid would come to in one piece mentally the next morning.

Will this keep happening? Narumi couldn't help but wonder if the boy would last in this occupation if he kept getting mortally wounded at the end of each mission. Did the Herald really see it wise to leave such a young boy on his own with no guidance, no one to patch him up? Someone older, perhaps, could do so on his own, but Raidou... Narumi couldn't help but think the boy would continue pushing himself to please the clan until he died in battle.

"Kid... I wish I could do more for you..." But this really was all he could do now, wasn't it? Fix him up and give him a place to rest... The bare minimum. At least there was that.

With that in mind, Narumi hunkered down on the floor, hoping to rest a while so he could properly care for the boy when he woke.

Sleep would not come easy.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a good day and a half before those grey-blue eyes fluttered open again, only close again tightly to block out the offending sunlight hitting them. What time was it, he wondered. What day? He tried to piece it together, finding he could not. All he could remember was that he'd come to Narumi to be patched up. The man had carried him home, sewn his wound and wrapped it. For that he was grateful. Speaking of which, where was Narumi? And Gouto for that matter. He always seemed to wake up alone while he was here.

Curious he sat up and attempted to get up and go look for them. Bad idea. This caused enough pain to shoot through his leg to not only make him yelp, but collapse to the floor as well with a loud thump. He just wasn't having any luck at all.

The familiar clatter of footsteps from the hall greeted him, but they were too light, too swift to be Narumi's. Too heavy to be Gouto's. No, the one to burst through the back door into the office was someone he didn't recognize; a woman, even.

She wore a lavender button down and black pencil skirt, her cropped hair neatly combed into place. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, with large eyes wide with shock and a bit of panic. Who was she and why was she in Narumi's house? Once she laid eyes on the boy, she scurried over to his side, attempting to help him up. "Are you all right?" She asked, quickly looking him over for any new wounds. Finding none, she promptly covered him with one of the blankets to give him a bit of privacy. He still wore only his underwear, but had been given a shirt at some point.

Raidou was staring at her with wide eyes, looking more than a little confused. He'd never seen this woman before, nor did Narumi mention her. Instinctively he was avoidant, suspicious. "Who are you? Where is Narumi-san?"

The woman blinked, a little wary herself. She wasn't familiar with the kid either, "Narumi is out on a case, he should be back soon." She answered quickly, eyes darting between the boy and the couch, wondering if she could lift him up that high. "Are you feeling okay? Hurting anywhere?"

"Who are you?" he asked again, eyes narrowing somewhat. Again the woman seemed nonplussed by his reactions. She must have been used to such brash questioning. Instead of getting offended or frightened, she smiled, "Where are my manners? I'm Asakura Kichou, a reporter. Narumi is a friend of mine."

"A friend..." more staring, but now the boy felt like a heel for being so harsh with her. He wished he could hide his eyes under the brim of his hat but it seemed to be missing again... Instead he bowed his head respectfully. "I'm sorry for being so blunt."

The woman waved it off, her usual smile on her face. "Don't worry about it! I'd be pretty freaked too if a stranger was in my house. You're Raidou-kun, right? Narumi didn't give me much more than a name." Meaning he hadn't told her why or how the boy came to his home, or why he was passed out half-naked on his couch with his leg stitched up. "Erm... yes." Because he really couldn't say much else. He hoisted himself back onto the couch with some effort, plopping down to rest. "Asakura-san... Do you now when Narumi-san will be back?"

"Please, Kichou is fine. Asakura-san sounds so boring..." The woman reached into her blouse pocket and retrieved a small, flat device, pressing a quick succession of buttons on the screen. "I'll find out where Narumi is for you, okay?"

Raidou nodded softly, moving to lay down again. "Kichou-san? Have you seen a black cat around here?" Tae stopped fiddling long enough to glance up at him, "He was scratching to get out earlier. Haven't seen him since."

"I see..." He wondered where Gouto could be. "Please let him in when he comes back..." he asked, getting comfortable again. His leg hurt like all get out and was little more than dead weight at the moment, but at least he could still fee his toes. That was a good sign.

The device in the woman's hand pinged and her eyes lit up. "Ah, I got a message from Narumi!" Said message was displayed to him, the text on the glowing screen apparently from the detective.

**Me says:**

Narumi when are you coming back? The boy woke up!

**Narumi Shouhei says:**

What? Shit I'm uptown. Make him comfortable and give him pills for the leg. Don't move him!

The woman pulled the device away, chuckling. "Eheh... I guess you got moved anyhow..." She grinned sheepishly, scratching at her neck. "But um... Does your leg hurt? Do you want some painkillers?" Her answer was probably the saddest look she had ever seen, almond shaped grey-blue eyes looking up at her pleadingly. Yes indeed, he wanted some god damned painkillers. And bad. She felt her heart skip a beat. "Wait here, I'll grab you some... Just... Don't move, okay?" Painkillers. Painkillers and juice were needed.

Within minutes the woman had retrieved a cup of orange juice and two tablets for him to take, holding both out to him, a slight smile on her face. "That must have been quite the scrap you got in. Narumi didn't have time to explain, but it looked like you were attacked!"

The boy gratefully took the tablets and washed them down with the juice, famished. He ended up downing the whole thing and requesting more. "It was quite a fall I had. Narumi-san helped me out a lot."

"I'll say! Well, at least he was able to help you... Are you a client of his? A friend?"

"Friend... I think." He assumed that's what they were. Not as if he would really know. He didn't have any friends besides his demons. Yet somehow that response set off alarm bells within the woman's head. "He hasn't gotten you into anything dangerous has he?" The expression on her face was of motherly worry and concern. But why? Raidou shook his head softly, looking like he was about ready to get some more sleep. Nothing much he could do now anyway besides let his leg heal. He thought to ask the women where his gear was. Certainly after a long sleep like that he had enough mag to summon. But with that idea came the realization that having a civilian finding out about the demons in his control would be less than beneficial. He decided against it in the end.

"Raidou-kun? Raidou-kun, do you feel dizzy at all?" She was still there, hunching over him, worrying her bottom lip again. "I'm fine. Just tired." he muttered, letting his eyes slip closed. That didn't stop the woman from fretting, and she sat on the floor at his side, hastily tapping on that small device again. Talking to Narumi? Likely.

Before Raidou could fall back into the abyss of pained slumber, the front door to the agency opened, the man hurriedly toeing off his shoes before making his way to the boy. "Tae, how is he?" The man came into the living area, his eyes carrying the same worry as the night before, only this time poorly masked. The woman, supposedly called "Kichou" replied in hush tones, "I think he's resting again. I gave him some ibuprofen."

"Eat anything?" Strangely enough, Narumi was all business when it came to the boy's condition. His eyes wandered over the boy as he fiddled with the cuffs of his shirt, apparently a habit he took up when he was nervous but lacked a cigarette to smoke it off with.

"I gave him OJ to keep his sugars up. You said he lost a lot of blood?"

The same hand from the other night ran across his forehead, palm slightly covering his eyes. "Temperature is a little high still, but the meds should help... Thanks, Tae." Tae again. Was she Kichou or Tae? Did she lie?

"Narumi-san..?" Raidou finally spoke up, turning his head to look over at the man. Narumi came into his view, standing over him, a relieved smile gracing his tired face when their eyes met. He pulled his hand back, the sweet relieved smile melting into a smarmy grin, his default. "Morning, sunshine! How's the leg?"

"Hurts less now, thanks to Kichou-sans help..." he replied, eying the woman with the slightest of frowns. Narumi quirked a brow, perplexed. "Kichou...?" The expression on his face phased from confused, bewildered, and then annoyed. His attentions turned to the young woman, palm to his face in frustration. "Oh, damnit Tae! You're gonna confuse the kid if you use that name!" He shout, gesturing with exasperation.

Tae gave a mighty pout, getting to her feet to face off with the man, hands on her hips. "If I want to go by Kichou, I'll very well go by Kichou! The guys at work call me Kichou! And if the only way to get someone to call me it is to introduce myself as Kichou, then so be it!"

"Kichou is your _penname_! And a stupid one at that! Who even calls their kid Kichou?"

"It is not _stupid_, it's a tribute to feminists everywhere!"

"Kichou, Kichou, Kichou! It's an outlandishly outdated name and it doesn't suit you at all!"

"It is _not_! Raidou-kun!" She turned her attentions to the boy laying dazedly on the couch, "What do you think of the name Kichou?"

Raidou just stared at the two, eyes shifting back and forth between them. And every time he looked at Narumi it was a plea for help. His head hurt, his leg really hurt, he was exhausted. He did not need this right now, and damned if he was going to say anything about the woman's penname. She was turning out to be scarier than he first anticipated.

As the silence ebbed on, Tae finally relented, sighing. "Ugh, fine, I get it... Sorry, Raidou-kun." She offered an apologetic smile to the ill boy, patting his shoulder with a kind smile. "Asakura Kichou is the name I slap on all my articles. My real name is Asakura Tae... You can call me whichever you want, deal?" She winked, as if that would make her seem less intimidating. It wasn't doing much, yet with a small smile he offered a nod. Thankful that was over now got comfortable again and closed his eyes, feigning sleep.

With a small sigh of his own, Narumi knelt down next to him. That warm hand returned to his forehead, this time smoothing his messy hair into place. Narumi seemed to have a fixation with that short, scruffy pixie cut of his. "Raidou, I'm going to clean your leg again, then do you think you can help me get you to bed?"

He nodded slowly, muttering a thank you to them both. The woman took this as hint enough and went to clean the table where Narumi apparently had supplies laying out, handing over some disinfectant and a washcloth. "I'll get out of your hair. Narumi, I'll text you, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks again for keeping an eye on him, Tae... I didn't want to leave him alone." That tone of voice he had... The detective was worried about him, and deeply from the sound of it. Upon further inspection of his face, it looked like he hadn't slept properly at all. The bags were really beginning to show. "You should get some sleep too, Narumi." Tae was the first to scold him, which was apparently common for the two of them. They must have been close. "If you want me to come by later so you can nap, just tell me."

"If your intention is to exchange information for caretaking, you're out of your gourd. Now beat it." The man muttered bitterly, pulling the blanket back so he could examine the stitching on Raidou's leg. Nothing infected or inflamed, that was a good sign.

Tae stuck out her tongue and collected her purse. "It was nice meeting you, Raidou-kun." She smiled, giving Narumi a good whack to the back of the skull before exiting. The man grumbled but shrugged it off, focusing on gently cleansing the still healing wound.

Raidou watched the exchange curiously, taking note of their word and Narumi's reactions. A strange exchange indeed. Very curious for two people to act like that... Eventually he voiced that curiosity. "Is Tae-san your lover?"

If Narumi had a drink in his mouth, it would have been sprayed on all the nice décor he had set up in the room at that very second. "W-what? What gives you that idea?" He sputtered, face turning bright red. Raidou, of course, showed almost no emotion what-so-ever as usual. Just mild surprise. "You two seem close..."

Narumi, on the other hand, looked like he was two seconds away from cardiac arrest. He set the cloth aside, face planted firmly in his hands. "Gods, it _does_ look like that, doesn't it? Shit..." Not exactly the reaction of a man asked if he was dating a young, successful beauty like Tae. "No, she's not my lover. Tae's like a kid sister, too young for me." He pulled his hands back, offering the boy an awkward smile. "We're just friends. If we were dating, she'd steamroll me in a heartbeat. That bitch is fierce when she wants to me." Not the impression he'd gotten from the woman, but in his line of work he had learned fast that appearances wee deceiving. And Narumi's reaction seemed to justify itself well enough when looking at it from that perspective. "Sorry, I didn't know..." Raidou aid with a small smirk, looking pretty amused. There was much the two had to learn about each other.

Speaking of which... "Narumi-san?" the boy started, face becoming inquisitive once again. "Just how old are you? If you don't mind my asking, that is."

Again it looked like Narumi should be doing a spit-take of sorts. He chuckled nervously, as if the very question caused him some sort of embarrassment. "Eheh... How old do I look?"

Raidou stared up at him, eyes looking over his face for any minute signs of aging or any little flaws. He didn't find many. Little lines here, faint crow's feet barely there. But his skin looked pretty soft and his skin-tone was even. "Late twenties..?" he went out on a limb. The answer itself made Narumi sigh in relief. "Ehn... Close, thirty-two. I guess compared to you, I'm a bit of an old fogy, huh?"

"Not really..." The boy just shrugged. Age didn't seem to be a big deal with him. Then again he was doing a job as a teenager that a grown man should be doing. He had no place to judge. Narumi gave him a pat on the shoulder, an awkward smile on his face. "You're a good kid, Raidou. Also I should probably apologize for leaving you alone with Tae."

"It's fine. I was just startled when I woke up and you weren't here. I was a little short with her."

_So he can feel fear... Noted._ "Sorry kid, I had a case call and wanted to wrap up the meeting quickly, and Tae just happened to barge in just as I got off the phone... I didn't want to leave you alone so..." He was worried about him, plain and simple, and the idea of having the boy in such a state in the office on his own wasn't flying with him. For once, Tae's presence was useful. "She was probably just as startled as you."

"Mn..." The boy paid the idea little mind. It didn't matter much anyway. He slowly moved to sit up, wincing as his leg twitched and strained. Okay, no more moving that without a heal. "Easy, easy..." Narumi gently pressed him back to the couch by the shoulders, "Don't strain yourself. It hurts for a _reason_, kid." He chided, pulling the blanket up to his chin, "Say, do you think you've got enough of that mag stuff to use your pixie dust or whatever it's called?"

With a little frown the boy complied, letting Narumi tuck him in again. But he'd at least been on the right track with what he'd been after. "I need my demons. Where are they?"

The detective stood, walking over to his desk and pulling out the kid's summoning apparatus, the sword and gun neatly tucked away beneath the desk. Not far this time, the man was beginning to trust him more. "Third in on the right?" He motioned to the tube he remembered holding the fae from the other day. "Yes, that's right." Raidou was anxious to have her back in his control. His leg hurt far too much to make him efficient. He needed to be in fighting form and quick.

The tube was handed over, the belt set on the dining table just in case. Narumi pulled up one of the chairs to join him near the couch, watching him work intently. "You were out completely the other night. I take it you recover with rest?"

"Yeah." He happily received the tube with a little smile. "Everyone recovers mag while sleeping. That's why incubi visit people in their sleep."

Narumi twitched, "Incubi? Those actually exist?"

Raidou nodded, closing his eyes and concentrating. "There's one in my apartment building." Slowly the tube began to unscrew, pulling itself open to reveal that same unearthly green glow. "He comes to me for mag sometimes. I usually tell him to get lost." Narumi wasn't quite amused by that fact, "...Don't those, like, come sex you up...?"

"Yes." The glowing green sparked, something coming out of it. Narumi could briefly see a bit of an outline before it disappeared. He imagined that was the pixie that Raidou owned, healing his leg. Strange how he could only see an outline... Then again, Raidou _did_ say there were some things only summoners could see, and hear in the case of Gouto. When the glow dissipated, he smiled and pulled the blanket back to check his leg. The redness around the stitching was gone, and it seemed that it had closed up part of the way. Not completely, but a good amount. "Guess fairies can only do so much."

"Dia doesn't do much, but the risk of infection is minimal now..." He returned the pixie to her tube, thanking her with a smile as she went. "Dia... That's the name of the spell, right?" Just so they were clear. Yes, Narumi knew quite a bit about the underground and what the Yatagarasu did, but he wasn't keen on the particulars. That didn't mean he didn't want to know, though. The more he knew about this summoning business, the better. Why? Even he wasn't sure at that point.

As usual Raidou was a little withdrawn at first, but after a moment of thought he was happy to oblige. "Yes, it's a light healing spell." For minor injuries, Narumi was sure. But it helped at least, "Does it help the pain at all?" There was that expression again; worry. The man really did care about him, didn't he? "It's fine, Narumi-san," Raidou muttered to help calm the man's worry. Cold as he was, he really was grateful for his concern and excellent care.

Narumi pulled back, smoothing the blanket over the boy's legs again. "I'm glad." That smile, it wasn't snarky or sarcastic, nor forced so he could hide away another less pleasing emotion. Narumi let his happiness show through, the expression not just on his lips but his eyes as well. And in turn it brought a small one out in Raidou, full lips quirking up just slightly. But just as he was able to relax something important filtered back into his memory. His job. He wasn't supposed to be here. He was either supposed to be outside doing his job or inside doing his homework. He lost the smile. "...I have to go..." he said solemnly and moved to sit up again.

Once more those hands were on him, trying to get him to rest. "Go? Go where?" Their eyes met, Raidou's suddenly as serious as they were calm. "I have to go home. I'm not supposed to be here."

"Kid, you've been out for almost two days. Are you sure that's a good idea?" That worry was there again. Raidou was still injured and he wanted to up and leave again? Was it because he felt he was intruding, that he was in the way? "I don't mind you being here, I really don't. You should rest a bit longer."

"I'm not supposed to be here..." he reiterated. He knew well enough that he wasn't supposed to let others meddle in his affairs. It could cause trouble for himself and his clan. Narumi was just a regular guy, detective or not. Without the clan or the Yatagarasu's blessings he could have nothing to do with him besides friendly banter. Narumi's heart sank, "Raidou... You can't be serious..."

"I say this for you, too. No sense risking yourself if you'll get in trouble with me."

The man had the distinct urge to shake the summoner, "Raidou, why would I get in trouble for _helping_ you? No one else has!"

"You could learn too much. I'm saying this for your safety."

So it was all about the secrecy, what was best for the clan, the Yatagarasu... And Raidou would gladly turn away a helping hand if it meant the inner workings of the organization would be exposed, even to just one lowly detective. He cursed himself, his luck, and his naivety. Of course Raidou would refuse to stay; if the Herald found out he was spending all his time at the agency... Gods, Narumi could just picture himself being black bagged. "Let me take you home." He demanded, leveling with the young summoner. Raidou wanted to protest, wanted to say he could make it on his own. But he refrained. He knew well as the other did that he needed help. Too much movement could pop the stitches and he'd be in a world of trouble again. He agreed with a nod, slowly moving to find his clothes.

At the very least, Narumi could take solace in the fact that he could see the boy home safely.

The neighborhood was not the most pleasant, Narumi noted. Yes, it was near the mall, but the buildings around them were dilapidated, in dire need of paint, and seemingly occupied by a slew of delinquents and vagrants. He knew this neighborhood well; it was the spot of many gang-related cases he had investigated. Drugs, prostitution, even a few murders... And this was the place they put the kid up? Where they _trying_ to force him to see the most terrible side of humanity? How was that going to make him want to protect the citizens of the capital?

"Man, the Herald sure knows how to pick em..." The two stood before one of the many run-down complexes just two streets south of the local shopping complex. Yeah, it was in the shopping district, but it clearly was not taken care of the same way as the mall was. They were almost as bad as the shared housing where the murder took place. "Do they make you pay for it? Or do they?" He asked of the boy, still a little uneasy leaving him alone with that leg of his. "They pay for everything. I'm sent money for food and supplies," the boy muttered from the passenger seat, looking about as pleased as Narumi was that he was going home. "Thank you for your help, Narumi-san. I'm sorry again for calling you like that..."

Narumi hastily shook his head, waving him off, "Kid, I'd almost prefer you did if it meant you got patched up and didn't end up _bleeding_ _out_ on the curb somewhere." He laid it on thick, but only because he wanted the boy to realize what kind of predicament he was in, and that the man was there to help him if need be.

Raidou didn't flinch at the idea but he did lower his gaze. Seems he got the message. But even so he knew he had to put that in the past and keep working. Clutching his sword to his chest he muttered a thank you and got out of the car, heading into the apartment building with a slight limp.

"Raidou?"

The teen stopped just before slipping through the door and turned back to look Narumi's direction. "My door's always open. You know what to do if you need anything." Call him, he was saying. Narumi was offering him help under the table, help he needed at times. Raidou's lips quirked up into the tiniest of smiles. He nodded once before turning away, disappearing back into the apartment building, leaving the older man to his own devices.

The only sound was the soft 'thump' as Narumi laid his head against the steering wheel. This was a real bind. He wanted to help the boy, he really did, but what do you do if he isn't allowed help? You couldn't force him into anything, he was a functioning adult, just in a dangerous situation... The man's mind went in circles, the feeling of utter hopelessness overcoming him. Was there really no way to help Raidou? Could he really only wait patiently, hoping he'd have his wits about him to call if he needed help?

_Why do I want to run to him and bring him back?_

As Raidou stepped into the apartment he heard the light beeping noise of a message on his answering machine. He quickly locked up and went for it, flicking the lights on as he did. The caller ID was a scrambled mix of numbers and letters. The Herald had called. Fearing the worst he pressed the replay button and went to get changed.

The machine beeped, stating a time and date that was less than an hour ago. "Kuzunoha Raidou the fourteenth, an utter of utmost importance has arisen." The Herald's voice spoke loud and clear, yet somehow lacked any tone. She was all business, as usual. "The Cerberus in which you failed to dispatch has been spotted in the hangars in the Tokyo bay shipping docks. Dispose of it immediately." The line went dead, and nothing else was heard save for "End of final message" from the answering machine.

You'd never see Raidou move so fast on an injured leg. He pulled on a new pair of slacks as quickly as he could and prepared himself for battle. He pulled out healing items and little provisions from the drawers of his dresser and laid them on the low table in the middle of the room. Beside them he lay ammo. As he was loading his revolver he heard a scratching noise at the window; only one thing that could be. Leaving his work for the moment he got up and went to open the window for Gouto.

The cat pounced in and landed on the table next to where Raidou was working. "I take it you got the Herald's message." So he knew as well. Just where had the cat been all that time? "Didn't expect you to come back here."

"I needed supplies." And back he went to work, loading his gun and checking it before tucking his items away in various locations on his person. Gouto's ear twitched in response, "Jouhei, I know it goes against your code, but maybe sit this one out? I can get a rookie on it." He said, noting the boy's pale complexion and sluggish movements. He needed more time to recover.

"A rookie will die." he replied, getting to his feet with a wince. He shook it off as best he could, ignoring the pain and holstered his gun. "I have to do this..." Whether it be a matter of pride or his sense of duty, it seemed nothing was going to stop the boy from going on this mission. Gouto cursed his luck, "Jouhei, are you sure? At this rate you're liable to get your leg ripped off."

"Then so be it," he replied, gathering his sword and securing it to his belt. The cat jumped to his feet, looking a tad bit panicked, "Jouhei, you're no good to the clan if you're an amputee. Listen to reason!"

"If that happens I'll relinquish my sword and commit ritual seppuku." No nothing at all was going to stop this boy. So this was why he was able to acquire the title of Raidou at such a young age; pure tireless and unconditional devotion and loyalty, the strength to get the job done even if he was killed in the process. He truly had the heart of a Kuzunoha.

And it'd be that passion that'd wind him up dead from carelessness. Gouto was at a loss. "...You're not going to reconsider, are you?"

"No." was his flat reply as he went out the door, limping his way to the stairs.

Gouto followed close behind, unsure of what to do. Raidou was skilled, yes, but he was injured and still very much out of it from the previous incident. There was no amount of skill that could save you from your own carelessness, that was something Gouto knew from experience. But what could he do? The boy was not going to heed his words, and whether he was charged as his guardian or not, the Herald's command overrode his advice. And the Herald cared little for failure, as did the organization. Even if Raidou turned down the mission and decided to rest, the Yatagarasu would come down on both their heads.

It was a no-win situation. Gouto cursed his luck.

Then, a thought occurred to him. He may not be able to get another summoner to do this mission for him, but he could certainly track down someone to help him. Perhaps someone that didn't have to report to the Herald. It wasn't in his nature to rely on someone else to help the boy, nor was it exactly kosher with the clan, but desperate times...

Without another word, Gouto set out on his own mission. He had a man to track down.


	6. Chapter 6

Once again the Agency smelled of cheap cigarette smoke, courtesy of a certain depressed detective. Narumi sat, agitatedly scrolling through his usual blog sites, only half-focusing on the words and pictures that flew by on the screen. No matter what he did, he couldn't get his mind off of the pale boy, tall and slender, hiding all his pain behind those blue-grey eyes. Utterly alone, no one to go to, and refusing help out of obligation to his clan. It was all so absurd and messed up and it was driving Narumi absolutely batshit with worry. For all he knew, Raidou could be out on another mission at that very moment, risking life and limb. And who knew how many times before this the boy had to patch himself up, curling up alone at his run-down flat wishing someone was there for him? Or did he even care to have someone around, preferring the solitude of the dark room over the comfort from others?

All these questions and more whirled around in his head to the point that he felt he was going to pull his hair out. _Cigarettes. I need more cigarettes..._

Suddenly there was a tapping on the window, something he was becoming distinctly familiar with. The sound of cat claws scratching at his window. He glanced back from his desk, noting Gouto frantically clawing at the glass. "Go home, cat. Your owner is back at his place." Narumi announced before boredly going back to his laptop. But Gouto continued to claw at the window, meowing loudly. He wanted in, and he was going to get it.

Sighing in aggravation, Narumi finally relented. "All right, all right!" He stood, throwing open the window and letting the cat into the office. "I told you, your boy isn't here! Now go on home!" The cat rushed inside before he could be locked out again, hopping onto the man's desk. He meowed loudly and pawed at the air, trying to get his attention. Narumi just stared, the most unamused expression he could muster on his face. "Cat, I'm not a summoner, I can't understand you." Yet, as the cat yowled, he could have sworn he heard something. Not just annoying meows, but words. He knelt closer, trying to hear the cat clearer. _Heh, that's a laugh... I'm trying to listen to cat._

The cat gave a distinctive hiss and swiped for him. But was true, something was off. He couldn't make much out, but he distinctly heard the words 'Raidou' and 'trouble'. Narumi blinked, trying to piece what little he could understand together. He wasn't a summoner, but it was as if he could partially hear the feline's words. Perhaps it was his previous involvement with the other world. "Raidou... trouble? Raidou's in trouble?" Gouto nodded vigorously, swiping once again, trying to get Narumi to follow him.

"Jeez, it's like I'm on _Lassie_ or something!" Narumi yanked open his desk drawer, revealing a luger and holster filled to the brim with ammo. In his line of work, it did one well to be prepared. The gun itself was a little old-fashioned; a replica of an old German model. But it had served him well even before he joined the force, so he wasn't about to switch to a different type of gun now.

From the coat rack his grabbed his jacket, shoving the extra ammo into the inner pockets. The gun? Tucked into the back of his pants. No time to dig out the holster. The last of his ensemble was his trusty bowler and car keys. Completely suited up, Narumi scooped the cat from the desk. "All right, cat, where do I find Raidou?"

The feline kicked out of his arms sped out as soon as the door was opened, hauling ass down the hallway towards the stairs. Clearly he wanted to be followed. Clearly he did not like being cradled. Strange cat. Narumi followed at breakneck speed, meeting Gouto at the car, opening the door for him before climbing in himself. "Wait, how the hell are you going to tell me where he is?"

The cat jumped into his lap and took a seat facing the steering wheel. Gingerly he pawed at it, meowing insistently. "You've gotta be kidding me..." Narumi groaned, starting the engine to his old, beat up car and driving in the direction specified. "Cat, you better not be leading me to a pet store or something or I'll leave you at a Chinese restaurant."

He got scratched for that, the cat hissing at him. Narumi recoiled with a growl, resisting the urge to toss the offending feline out the window. "Ouch! Damnit, fine! Lead the way, just get me to Raidou before something happens, got it?"

And so the detective was led by the ornery feline. Gouto pawed at the wheel when he expected the man to turn and in which direction. Forget Lassie, this was something straight out of the Twilight Zone.

All the while, Narumi couldn't help but anxiously anticipate what the boy's condition was going to be. If Gouto had come to get him, he must have been in quite a fix. He just hoped he could get there in time and that the boy was still unharmed. "Hang on, Raidou! I'm coming for you!"

_Before it's too late, I'll make sure you come home safely!_

They made their way across town, finally reaching their destination. An old hanger down by the pier; how much of an old fashioned stereotype could you get? But clichés aside they hand to get inside. Gouto was clawing at the door, trying to get out. Narumi took the hint, bringing the car to a stop and releasing the harried feline.

"Here?" He asked. Of all places, a dock on a cloudy day... It even looked like it was going to start pouring at any moment. A perfect place for a showdown, just like you'd see in those action movies; the hero facing off against the villain in a life or death battle, only one survivor to claim the prize and get the girl. How ironic; the prize and girl this time was Raidou.

That thought left a bit of an odd taste in his mouth. Taking a quick look around, he loaded his gun, readying his next set of ammunition in his pocket, just in case. "Where's Raidou?"

No need for the cat to take the lead here. Conveniently just after the man asked his question was answered... in the form of loud gunshots coming from not too far away. Narumi knew those shots; they were from the same sort of magnum that Raidou toted around. "Shit!" He cursed, readying his own piece and darting off in the direction of the shots.

Meanwhile Raidou was already in a battle for his life. One demon was down and the other was assisting his efforts. His trusted elven companion stood at his side, heavily damaged but still willing to assist his master. "Raidou-sama, how are you faring?" The elf, Tam Lin, asked of the boy while parrying another blow from their mutual enemy. His usual polished armor was nicked and scratched, a bit of his own elven blood spilt onto it. But he held strong, dead set on protecting his master from harm. "I'll be fine. Stay on guard." the summoner replied, keeping his sights on the beast before them.

The white fur mottled with blood, the fangs and claws ready to pierce into the young summoner's flesh and tear him asunder. Yes, this was the same beast from before, and it was ready for revenge. A week of recovery was all it needed to be at full strength again, ready to devour the man who was foolish enough to stand in his way. "Foolish boy!" It growled, inching closer like a cat on the prowl. "You come against me, and for what? To avenge those pitiful humans?"

"I'm here to do justice. That's all." Raidou stared the creature down as he spoke, resolve showing in his eyes as he leveled the business end of his magnum with Cerberus' head.

The demon threw its head back as if to laugh. "Justice? Justice was eating them all! If you knew what they had done, you'd know why they had to die!" Cerberus swiped at the boy, trying to disarm him. Tam Lin thrust his weapon into the demon's side, piercing the thick skin and throwing the canine into a frenzy, his rage turning to the elf. "Master, please watch out!" Were the last words Tam Lin got out before the entirety of his torso was bitten into by the demon, mortally wounding him before tossing him against the hangar's walls. The summoner jumped away only to watch his demon nearly killed before his eyes. Before worse damage could be done he returned him to his tube barely having time to tuck it away before he had to dodge another attack. "You have no idea of justice if you are to protect and avenge those humans!" The way the Cerberus spoke, it sounded as if he had a vendetta against the trio he killed. But what? What did he hold against those three humans?

Raidou was curious of just that. He took refuge behind a large steel container, ducking down to reload while he spoke with it, tried to keep a handle on where it was. "And what did they do to you to make you want them dead? What reason did you have to kill them? You played with them before they died."

The boy's first answer was another barking laugh, "You would to, if they had done unto you as they did unto me!" The second answer was a swipe at the boy so hard that it broke his guard, tearing into his already injured leg, narrowly missing anything vital. The hit just barely broke into the skin, but was enough to tear the stitching that was already there. The beast must have smelled the blood from the still healing wound.

The boy let out a yelp and dashed away before it could do more damage, firing at it as he did. He aimed for anything vital he could, catching it just between the ribs on one side and in the belly. This only seemed to enrage the beast more so than hurt it. He was forced to dodge another swipe. Ever fast on his feet he back-flipped out of the way. This also proved he still had trouble concentrating while a good deal of blood was still being recovered. In his mild panic he'd forgotten completely about his leg. While landing he jolted it, which sent him to his knees with a yelp. This only led to further damage. The impact ripped the remaining intact stitching and the blood instantly began to flow.

_No!_ He mentally exclaimed, _I have to get up!_ _I have to keep going!_ His desperate thoughts were for naught. The moment he tried to get to his feet his legs buckled from the pain, from exhaustion. He let out a cry and fell, holding the damaged leg tightly. His body had reached its limit.

The demon growled triumphantly, advancing on the summoner once more, his prey cornered. "How does it feel, young summoner? How does it feel to be cornered and helpless..." Cerberus stopped just inches from him, snarling into his face, each word dripping with hatred for mortals just like Raidou. "Knowing you had the power to fight back, only to have it twisted away, as if you were nothing more than a mere animal!" His words, it was quickly becoming clear that this demon had something more than just a vendetta against humans. It was those three... But what could they have done to such a large beast that even he was powerless to fight back?

None of that mattered now. The beast had him against a wall, ready to strike and finish him off, his weapons out of reach, his demons too injured to continue... The boy struggled as best he could, but it was all for naught. He could feel the blood leaving him at a rushed pace, his head dizzied from its loss. There was little he could do now besides prepare himself for the killing blow.

Yet nothing came, no claws nor teeth, nothing save for the abrupt sound of gunshots followed by a deafening roar. The Cerberus backed away, stumbling off to one side, its beastly growls of pain echoing in the corridor around them. Raidou could see it; blood, not his own but the beasts pooling on the concrete, one of its back legs riddled with bullet holes. A crippling blow, but by whom?

"Raidou!"

At the entrance to the hangar stood two figures, one on four legs darting towards him, the other standing in shooting stance, gun still smoking.

The young summoner hit the floor with a grunt, exhausted. But when his eyes focused on the familiar figure now rushing towards him like the cat was moments earlier his heart skipped a beat. "Narumi-san..." He'd come for him. He'd shot at the beast to protect him. Quite possibly this one act had saved his life. He felt himself smiling weakly.

And then all at once he remembered just why he was here and just what was lurking. He struggled to sit up, to warn him. "Narumi-san! The Cerberus is here! You shouldn't be here!"

"Yeah, I get that!" Narumi jogged up to him, reloading his luger with a fresh clip, eyes darting around for any sign of the beast in question. It was only blind luck and the brief flickering of an aura, a disruption in the air that told him where the monster was lurking. He wasn't even sure where he hit, all that mattered was that he did, and it was enough to stave the Cerberus off long enough for him to get to Raidou. Narumi carefully pulled the boy upright, arm gently wrapped around his shoulder to steady him. "Are you all right, kid?" He asked even though he knew the answer just from a quick glance at the boy's leg. The stitches were torn, and the boy was already bleeding heavily. Things were looking grim for the summoner.

Raidou all but flopped against the detective, eyes flickering around the hanger as he went to remove his cloak. "I'm fine... Just a little dizzy..." He pulled the cowl off and carefully pulled his injured leg into an easier position to wrap. The cloak was rolled up a little before it was wrapped around the kid's leg, Raidou tying it off tightly just over the reopened gash. It hurt, damned if it didn't. The yell he was unable to stifle told Narumi that much. "Jeez, kid...!" Narumi scolded, holding the boy upright as best as he could with one free arm, "What are you doing out here? Are you on a suicide mission?"

His scolding was soon interrupted by another feral growl, one even Narumi had to acknowledge. "You... A mere human... Do you think you have the power to take me down?" The Cerberus attempted to stand, back leg giving out under his weight which only seemed to infuriate it more. Their true predicament showed; Narumi could hear the beast's animalistic cries but not its words, nor could he see it.

But Raidou's eyes were on something, stare unyielding. He could see the beast perfectly, and it was not far away from them. Slowly shakily with Narumi's help he reached for his gun and pointed it at the beasts head. He pulled the trigger, bidding it a final farewell... and got nothing. Nothing but the soft click of the hammer hitting dead, cold metal of a shell. He was out of bullets. From his lips came a tiny noise of frantic displeasure to accent this fact. Quickly he tried to sit up, to reach behind for line of silver bullets housed in his belt.

"Raidou, where is it?" The detective asked, voice escalating with his own panic. He held the gun at the ready, aiming for the exact spot he saw Raidou point just seconds before. There was only a flicker, a displacement in the air around them that denoted the beast's location. Not enough for a dead hit. "Narumi-san, shoot it!" the boy exclaimed, frantically loading his gun, the beast struggling to its feet. It was backing up, lowering its body. It was preparing to charge them.

Confirmation enough, he figured. Narumi pulled the trigger and lay six bullets into the demon. He wasn't sure where they landed, but the cry he got from the beast told him somewhere that hurts. Unfortunately, nowhere vital. Nothing that would cut its thick hide. Finally Raidou's revolver was loaded, just in time for the beast to rush at them. The boy nearly panicked, eyes wide. Narumi was in danger. He had to protect him. "Narumi-san!" He pushed himself as far between the detective and the beast as he could, leveled his weapon and fired. Even if he was torn to pieces, even if he was killed, at least he would die knowing he'd protected this one man.

Not one but two sets of shots rang out in unison, a second gun held next to the boy's firing off a round along with him. Narumi had used Raidou's aim as his own, firing what was left of his clip.

When it was done there was a pair of smoking handguns and one very relieved summoner. Raidou slowly lowered his weapon and look a slow, shaky breath. A trembling arm wrapped around him again, pulling him back against the older man's chest so close he could feel Narumi's racing heartbeat. The man still held the gun at the ready, as if he still feared the unseen enemy and sought to shield the boy he had come all this way to save from harm. Even now Narumi was trying to protect him, whether it was for Raidou's sake or his own peace of mind. "Did... Did we get him?"

Raidou finally allowed himself to relax, resting back against the older man's chest. His trained eyes stared at the beast that lay dead on the ground, various points in its skull bleeding even now, a particularly large entry wound smoking softly with a faint sizzling noise, the flesh still being burned though the animal was dead from the point blank shot through the eye. It had left a mess, too, the Cerberus' golden eye splattered, having exploded on impact. Messy. He was thankful Narumi could not see. "...Yeah... It's dead."

The older man finally allowed himself to lower his gun, sighing softly, smiling at the boy. "You're a damned fool, kid. I hope you know that." But his scolding held no malice now. The beast was slain, his mission was done... yet as the body began to fade into the Dark Realm where it belonged, an eerie glow rose up from the destroyed body. A spirit, a white, long-hair dog of sorts, floating idly above it. It spoke silently to the summoner, a small thanks before disappearing completely, ascending to whichever higher being canines went to.

"So that is why." Gouto, who so far had stood by and observed the scene to see how the two would react, finally spoke to Raidou. "That Cerberus was once a normal dog, apparently owned by a couple that lived in one of the shared flats... To hear him tell it, the trio we found dead did some terrible things to it, and it was the thirst for revenge that caused it to turn into a demon." Such a thing was not unheard of. There were many tails of normal humans and creatures alike being driven mad by negative emotions and assuming the form of a demonic presence. That dog was no different. "I'm sure you heard it, but it thanked you for releasing it, for it was no longer itself."

The boy nodded softly, a tiny smile on his lips. "Yes, I heard Gouto... I'm glad..." But as happy as he was to have completed his mission, Raidou wasn't out of the woods yet. He looked pale, the bleeding of his limb still not stopping though it had been stemmed for the most part. Sensing his fear, Narumi carefully gathered the boy up in his arms. "Let's get you back to the Agency and fixed up." He spoke softly, somehow managing to get the boy to his feet, an arm around his waist, Raidou's draped over his shoulder to steady him. "Can you heal yourself at all?"

Raidou easily fell into his arms, holding on with one arm around Narumi's shoulder. "Pixie is dead," meaning no. "But I have medicine..." It wouldn't do much, but it would help stop the bleeding. At least there was that. "Take some when we get to the car. I'll see about reviving your demons like last time..." Hopefully Raidou had some change to put towards that this time. "I can do it at home..." Raidou muttered, letting himself be lead back to the car, Gouto following close behind.

The boy was gently set in the passenger seat of the car, the chair slightly reclined so he could rest easier. "You gonna make it back to the Agency?" Narumi asked, clearly worried about the boy's condition. With the amount of blood he had lost in the last few days it was surprising he wasn't dead yet. Maybe the kid really was suicidal... "I'll be okay..." He fished around in his pockets for the medicine he'd brought. After a short while one pocket finally produced his desired result. He pulled out a caplet from the little case and popped it into his mouth, swallowing. It tingled on the way down, letting him know it was already going to work. Narumi watched with a bit of mild confusion as he climbed into the car. "What was that?"

"Medicine..." He popped another caplet, his last, and swallowed. Slipping the container back into his pocket he explained. "It's something that helps advance healing. Something of an occult item. It doesn't do much but my wound will stop bleeding very soon."

"Thank the gods for that..." At least it meant that Raidou wasn't going to bleed out on his leather upholstery. But he'd still need to be stitched, and still need to be laid up for a few days so he could recover. "Take it easy and rest for a bit. I'll wake you when we arrive. Deal?"

The summoner thought to protest but thought better of it immediately. Narumi was a stubborn man. Instead of fighting him on it he simply nodded and let himself be driven back to the agency.

As they went, Gouto on his lap, the boy was pondering something. Just how had he been found? He'd have expected Narumi to be at home at that very moment scrolling through blogs for leads on investigations. So how had he found him? He'd been so careful too... "Narumi-san?"

"Hm?" The man glanced over from his spot in the driver's seat, still trying to keep his eyes on the road. "Yeah, kid?"

"...How did you find me?"

An accusative finger was pointed to the cat curled up in Raidou's lap. "Lassie here came to fetch me." Gouto bristled slightly. The boy blinked once and turned his attentions to the cat. "Gouto...You went to find Narumi-san..?"

"It was far better than having to explain to the Herald why you were found dead in a Hangar." Gouto murmured, slightly embarrassed. Now even he was breaking the rules. What would the clan say?

"I'm glad." Narumi broke the tension between them, fumbling for a cigarette as he merged onto the highway. "If he hadn't you would have been killed by that thing, Raidou. You really need to be a little more careful if you're gonna be on your own..."

Raidou's attentions were back on Narumi, face blank as always. But his eyes seemed to show just how grateful he was, even if his words did not. "It would be an honor to die for my clan if it came to that."

"Raidou..." Narumi managed to light his cigarette and take a slow, long drag, letting the nicotine fill his senses. "There's a difference between dying for honor and dying needlessly. Even if it isn't exactly by the books, you're better off living for the clan than dying for it." Raidou opened his mouth to protest... and closed it soon after. He knew the man was right. If it was because he was injured he wouldn't be dying with honor. He'd be dying a failure. With that in mind he lowered his head, nodding once.

"Now rest." Narumi muttered, reaching over to scrub at the boy's hair. "You're safe now."

"...I know..." he muttered, closing his eyes to rest them. It really had been a long couple of days. "...Narumi-san?"

The window was cracked to tap ash against the glass before it fell into the man's lap, "Yeah?"

"...Thank you for coming."

Narumi felt a bit of heat creep up his neck at the boy's words, but never the less he smiled. Thanks to his efforts, the boy was still alive, but it wasn't that he even cared if it was him or someone else that came to his rescue, just as long as the boy was safe. The urge to protect the boy only grew with each passing moment, filling the pit of his stomach with dread of what was to come, and how he could aid him through it. Yet the high was still there, making him feel a bit giddy in the head. The cigarette was discarded and the window rolled up, the man reaching over to pat the boy's shoulder. "You did good, Raidou. You deserve a nice nap."

His heart fluttered at the praise, cheeks warming, finally putting a little color back into the white skin. It felt so nice when Narumi did that, pat his head and told him how well he'd done. It honestly made the whole ordeal worth it.

Even nearly getting his leg torn off in the process.

"Your efforts helped greatly. You deserve just as much credit as I do Narumi-san."

The older man chuckled, deep and rich. There it was, the smile he had only seen shown to the young boy, "We make a good team, don't we?"

Raidou couldn't help but return it with one of his own, warm and kind, something he'd never shown to anyone but the man beside him. "...We do, yes."

The cat seated upon Raidou's lap made something akin to a gagging noise, almost like he was trying to cough up a hairball. "Knock it off, you two. Raidou, get some sleep."

With a small sigh Raidou relented. He was tired anyway. With one last bit of thanks he closed his eyes once again, laying his head back to rest.


	7. Chapter 7

The agency was quiet that night. Gouto curled up in the armchair in the corner of Narumi's room, while Raidou lay resting in his bed. The man was busily cleaning the wound, pulling out the old stitches and replacing them with new ones. All the while, he chatted with Raidou, whether he was listening or not. The conversation was decidedly diverted from the clan, summoning business, and even the fight... It was just about Raidou, what he liked, and anything to divert his attention from the pain; the poor boy.

"Have you been to the mall yet?" He asked, dabbing at a bit of dried blood on the boy's thigh. "It's got some nice stores, and you can just walk over..."

"I don't really go, no." he admitted, trying his best to concentrate on something, anything but the pain. Narumi's eyes... Those were a good thing to focus on. Large and a rich mid-brown in color. He had long eyelashes for a man, a little thicker as well. With a small smirk the boy decided that he liked them very much. They were pretty, so much more interesting than your average Japanese males eyes.

Those eyes fell on his, the man giving him an almost playful smirk. "We should go sometime. They have a cute café that sells coffee jelly with tea ice cream. And cake, tiramisu even!" The man went on, thinking of all the delicious desserts he could introduce to the young man whom had clearly missed out on the sweeter things in life, like bumming around a mall for no apparent reason. All these suggestions brought a little twinge of a smile to Raidou's lips. Talk of cakes and other sweet things seemed to make him happy, if only faintly. "...I'd like that. I haven't had any of that before." Blue-grey eyes fell on Narumi's milk-chocolate brown ones, slightly narrowed from his tired state. "What's tiramisu?"

The man gaped at him, just narrowly finishing the last stitch as he did. "You've never had tiramisu?"

The boy's head shook softly. "No... I've never heard of it... None of that, really..." he mused before realizing something. He corrected, "Ah, that's not true. I do know what ice cream is. A girl at my school was walking with some friends back from lunch period and she had some. I asked her what it was and she laughed..." he said, averting his gaze elsewhere, looking just a tad embarrassed.

Narumi looked absolutely appalled. What kid grew up without having _ice cream_? "Kid, that's criminal! As soon as you're walking again you and I are going to the mall in Ginza and getting you cake and all that. You _need_ it!" He seemed really excited about this aspect; Narumi must have had a sweet tooth. Seems Raidou did too with the way his eyes lit up. "I'd like that..."

"Then it's settled!" The stitching needle was set aside and Narumi began wrapping the boy's freshly repaired leg with gauze. "When do you want to go? I say give this thing a few days if you don't zap it with that pixie dust shit again."

"Her name is Pixie," the boy corrected with a slight frown, watching the man work. There was something about his bedside manner. It wasn't the best, but damned if he wasn't trying. It was kind of sweet, actually. Narumi smacked the side of his head with the heel of his hand. "Pixie, right... and the other... the elf guy... Tam... Tamlem?" Really, _really_ trying. He had only heard these names maybe once.

"Tam Lin." Again he was corrected but there was kindness to it. The kid was going easy on him. And maybe, just maybe, he was trying to bond a little with him. This alone made Narumi grin like he had just been gifted an entire cake. "Tam Lin and Pixie. Your companions, they protected you back there, didn't they?"

"As best they could, yes..." And suddenly the boys mod took a turn for the worst. His eyes lowered sullenly before closing completely. He just lay there, looking like he'd been struck. It was then Narumi realized what he had said, and how it must have hurt the boy. "...You said Pixie died, didn't she?"

"...She almost did, as did Tam Lin..." he muttered, turning on his side to face away from the man. "Once my strength returns I'll summon her and have her heal them both." That's right, Raidou's energy was what gave the demons their strength, so as they recovered, he could heal them. "That's a relief... I know they're important friends of yours. I wouldn't want to see them gone from your life."

His words were met with a soft nod, the summoner more than a little tuckered out. Yet after only a short silence he was insisting quietly, "I should get going. I shouldn't put you out again."

And of course, Narumi protested, almost forcing the kid back onto the bed. "Raidou, you should seriously rest tonight. I'll take you home tomorrow... I mean it..."

Raidou would have none of it, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the bed. "I'll be fine. I promise."

A hand was on his arm in half a second, Narumi trying to stop him. "Kid, be reasonable... The Herald won't disown you for spending a night here to rest." The man gazed at him, sincerely concerned for his condition. At this rate it seemed like Raidou was going to push himself past his limits each time he was injured just to stay in the Herald's good graces. It'd kill him eventually. But when their eyes met Raidou had such determination within them, and a deep sadness. He moved just a little closer, just barely stretching the bounds of what was appropriate between two men of their respective age differences being unrelated. "Narumi-san... I know you don't think it's best for me on my own, but I have to try. If I can only rely on you and not myself then what good am I at all, whether it be as a Kuzunoha or just a man?"

"I'm not saying rely on me." Narumi gazed at him. They were so close, he could pick out the exhaustion in the boy's face, how thin he was becoming... "I'm saying allow yourself to be helped, Raidou. Accepting handouts and accepting guidance and a helping hand when you need it are two completely different things."

"Narumi-san..." The boy looked away, that sadness returning. "I understand your position on it but please allow me to make my own way, if not for my benefit then as a friend."

When put that way, Narumi wasn't sure he could disagree. And yet something grated on him, told him this wasn't the whole story. "Raidou... Are you really okay with being alone? I'm not asking you to speak for the clan, but for yourself." The hand was still there, not gripping or trying to keep him still, just holding, as if he wanted to keep the contact. "There are things out there, people out there that would walk all over you and you may not even realize it before it's too late... Can you honestly say you're not afraid?"

"People aren't what we should fear. It's the demons out there that would do them harm." Raidou's eyes leveled with his once again, stern, cold. "I'm not afraid of demons. I'm not because I understand them. So if I don't fear demons, something the rest of humanity fears, then I can tell you with certainty that I'm not afraid. Of being alone or anything else."

Of all the times he wanted to shake him, this had to be one of the biggest. "Raidou, you don't get it." He said bluntly, releasing the boy's arm and getting to his feet. "Humans are even more frightening than demons. Do you know why?"

The boy shook his head, not understanding what Narumi was getting at. Humans? Frightening? How?

Narumi huffed, turning on heel and heading for the door, almost reluctant to tell the kid. "The demons you work with, they're loyal to their own kind, right?"

"Some aren't, but most are yes..." Raidou replied, staring after him with curiosity in his eyes. Just what was he getting at?

Narumi finally turned to look at him, his face grim. "The ones that are not. What are they like?"

Raidou merely shook his head. "I don't know. I haven't met any yet."

The detective simply shook his head, "Pray you don't. Humans are just like them." And that's all he would say about that before getting up to leave the room, needing a moment to cool down. It wasn't going to do him much good to let off his steam on the kid, not when he was still reeling from the attack. Perhaps that's what it was; the worry and fear he felt knowing and _witnessing_ Raidou come so close to death playing back in his mind, plaguing him. Those eyes the color of a rainy day's sky staring up at an enemy only he could see in fear... He couldn't imagine the boy being completely unafraid of anything. Everyone had fears, it was what made them _human_.

"Allow yourself another hour, then I'll take you back. Just enough to let the anesthetic wear off." And without another word, he left, closing the door behind him.

Raidou did take that hour, just sitting there, thinking about what had been said. He understood his concern, or at least he assumed he did. Narumi was a good man, only wanting to protect him. He got that. He really did. But he'd been trusted with a mission of upmost importance. He alone out of all the clan had succeeded the title of Raidou, the highest of honors to be bestowed. And at such a young age. He could not let them down. Even if it worried his new found friend, even if he was hurt or even killed trying, he had a mission to keep the peace in Tokyo, and he would complete that mission no matter what.

An hour later he had himself dressed and ready, sitting where he'd been before on the edge of the bed, waiting for Narumi to return.

"Jouhei." A deep, usually thundering voice called for him softly. His mentor had been watching, thinking on his own. "Are you feeling all right?" He spotted Gouto in the doorway. Just how long had he kept watch? "I'm fine Gouto. I'm eager to get home and rest for school tomorrow."

The cat jumped from his place on the armchair and strode over to his feet. "Your diligence is appreciated, just don't push yourself beyond your limits."

"If one pushes their limits they will grow stronger."

"Only if they are not broken beyond repair." The cat sauntered off towards the door, ready to go himself. "For now, let's go back to base and recuperate for the night."

"Agreed..." Raidou slowly got to his feet, not quite willing to test his leg just then. It didn't hurt as bad as last time. It was painful, but he could bear it. Carefully he made his way to the door, opening in and poking his head outside "Narumi-san...?"

The door to the office was ajar, a clear indication of where the man was. Narumi stood at the cracked open window, cigarette smoke filtering into the open air.

Raidou walked slowly out to the office, trying his best to hide his faint limp. He smiled lightly as he entered, his gaze, a kind look aimed at Narumi. "You said you would take me home after an hour. Is that still a valid offer?"

Narumi glanced tiredly to the boy, forcing a smile for his sake. "Yeah, I'll get my coat." No questions of how he was, no overt concern about his injuries... Just simple compliance. Raidou thanked him with a small bow, thankful for his help. But still he couldn't help but sense his distress. He seemed genuinely upset about all this. But if he was, Narumi wasn't going to say anything about it.

"I have some painkillers for your leg." A small zip-seal bag of white pills were handed to the young boy, "Take one twice a day." Those eyes turned to him only briefly, but that was enough to see the deeper emotions hiding behind those tired eyes.

"Thank you again, Narumi-san... for all your help."

"...Yeah." Narumi grabbed his jacket and was out the door without another word. He kept his pace slow, still mindful of the boy's condition, but didn't voice any further concerns. If the boy wanted to be independent, he'd let him, wait for Raidou to come to him.

The summoner gathered his bloodied cloak and carried it with him, folding it to lay over one forearm as he walked. He followed his newfound friend as fast as he could while doing his damnedest to hide the limp. Stubborn kid. Even Gouto muttered the same under his breath.

It seemed to be a common thought between the cat and the older man as the three of them made the trek to Ginza to take the boy home, none speaking, a tense silence falling over them.

When they arrived this time Raidou didn't immediately make to leave the car and rush inside. He didn't move at all really, just staring at nothing, thoughtful. It was like he was contemplating something. Gouto pawed at his arm and he snapped out of it, nodding once to the cat to show he was alright. But still he did not leave the car. Instead..."Narumi-san..." he glanced to the side only briefly, not turning his way. "...Do you want to come inside?"

The words knocked Narumi out of his own respective stupor, head turning to face the kid, almost bewildered. But he sobered quickly, taking another drag of his cigarette. "It's late, but if you promise to sleep, I will."

"I will when I finish my homework," he promised, finally moving to leave the car. Narumi followed suit, eyes not once leaving the limp that the boy was trying so hard to mask. Again the thought of how stubborn he was entered his mind. If anything, Raidou should be using a crutch, if not leaning on him... At that moment, Narumi wished he would.

The boy easily ignored his own health in order to get up the stairs and into the apartment building on his own, Gouto on his shoulder. Thankfully the elevator in this building did work regularly. He lead Narumi inside it and pressed the button for the top floor. It was then Narumi finally addressed it, sort of. "Is it hurting?" He asked quietly, keeping his eyes on the walls around him.

"It's not bad..." Raidou muttered, keeping his eyes forward and his weight shifted off his right leg as much as possible without being obvious.

It was all too obvious to Narumi, but he decided against mentioning it. The kid had made up his mind. "Take a pill with your tea."

The boy nodded softly in agreement. Tea sounded nice anyway. The elevator dinged moments later, signaling that they were at their destination. When the doors opened Raidou stepped out, leading the detective down the open air halls to his apartment. Just as shabby as he had anticipated; the Yatagarasu really didn't give the boy much in the way of living expenses. He almost dreaded seeing what kind of shape the apartment was, and just how small.

But when they arrived and the door was opened it was the near exact opposite of what he'd anticipated. It was small yes, just one long single room divided into a kitchen and living area that doubled as a bedroom, a tiny bathroom on the side. But beyond that the place was immaculate. There wasn't much in the way of furniture save for a low table in the middle of the sitting room with a couple pillowed, a large bookcase against the wall. There was a large closet to the side where the boy stored his futon and school uniforms as well as some traditional clothing and weaponry in the built in drawers. But still, it was kind of cozy. Kind of... "Please make yourself comfortable..." Raidou finally spoke, holding the door open for his friend.

_I haven't lived in a 1LK since I was first starting in the force... I forgot how compact they were_. But it looked like Raidou was managing well enough, even if his room did lack everything that made a house a home. No pictures, nothing personal save for his clothing out. It was just blank, empty, almost like it was more suited as a cell than a living space. _How lonely..._

Narumi took a seat at the small table, noting that they probably came furnished with the apartment by how lumpy they were. There were a few books on the shelf, mostly school texts, nothing to really denote what interested the boy. "You've been here a couple weeks, you said?"

"Three weeks now..." the boy said from the kitchen area, which was just as small as the rest of the place. What the kid had said had been right. A tiny kitchen, just a couple counters, cabinets, microwave, sink, mini fridge and a hotplate, only enough to make simple meal. But Raidou said he liked to cook his own food, didn't he? This was hardly the place for a proper home cooked meal. He was filing a kettle now while slipping off his school jacket and setting it to the side.

"Where's all your stuff?" Narumi asked, glancing around to the barren walls of the apartment.

"This is all of it." he replied, setting the kettle on the hotplate and turning it on. Narumi did his best to hide his shock. No personal affects at all? No photos, no trinkets, nothing? "Not much, is there?"

"This is enough." He didn't need much else. Just food, clothing, a base of operation and money for supplies. Everything else he could comfortably live without.

Narumi bit his lip. "That's kind of..." Sad, he wanted to say. The boy really did have nothing. Gouto mewled something behind him, circling on one of the cushions adjacent to Narumi; a sign to sit down for a while.

A long silence passed between them, drawn out and a little uncomfortable. But soon enough the kettle began to whistle and fresh tea was finally produced and brought out on a tray to share. "Sorry for the wait..." the teen muttered as he set a pair of traditional cups and a pot on the table. He didn't stay, busying himself by putting away the tray and gathering up a white messenger bag set over by the door to bring to the table. It was beginning to grate on Narumi greatly. "Kid, sit down and enjoy the tea. You shouldn't be up and around right now."

Raidou silently complied. He took a seat opposite the detective and started pulling supplies from his back and laying them on the table. School supplies. Was he really going to do homework? The detective glanced at the clock and saw that it was well past midnight. The kid should be in bed, not doing homework. "I don't understand how you balance the summoning biz and high school, Raidou. Don't you sleep?"

"I sleep fine." he replied, opening his text book and notes to write.

Narumi quirked a brow, "When?"

"When I finish my school work."

Narumi frowned, masking it with his tea. He glanced over to the boy's homework assignment. It looked like English... "What subject is that?"

"English." Just as he'd thought. And judging by how quickly he was getting his assignment done Raidou was pretty good at it. That, or a model student. Save for one thing. "Ah, here... The sentence structure on that line is off." Narumi pointed to one of the phrases the boy had just written. "Noun before verb."

Blue-grey eyes glanced up at the detective in mild surprise before turning back down again. He quickly fixed the mistake, seeing what he'd done wrong, a tiny smile on his lips. "..When did you learn this?"

A slight smirk crossed the detective's lips, "I was an cop. When you're dealing so closely with the public you have to know English. Tourists and all that." He gave the boy a playful wink, "I know snippets of other languages too, but English was most common."

Raidou seemed genuinely intrigued by this, smiling faintly as he finished his homework, "What other languages do you know?"

"Ehn... Some Russian, a little Chinese..." He grinned, leaning a little closer, "_Je connais un peu le Français..._" A snicker, breath ghosting against the boy's ear.

The boy twitched ever so slightly, a shiver going down his spine from the man's hot breath on his ear. He could just feel himself blushing, if only a little. To hide it he ducked his head and sipped at his tea.

Narumi pulled back, grinning in triumph over being able to get a rise out of the normally docile boy. "Just bits... Mostly enough to get someone to freeze or get down on the ground."

With a small nod of response Raidou finished up his homework and set it aside, finally able to spend a little time with the man who'd not only saved his life once but twice. "...You have a beautiful accent. Almost like it's a language you commonly use."

"The ladies love French." The ran a hand through his hair, grinning. "Admittedly, I practiced it a lot more because of that." Ever the letch, some things never change. "I see..." Raidou replied, sipping his tea. So Narumi was a ladies man. He was finding out more and more about him every passing second.

"Although," The man continued, "I still haven't found a girl for me. I guess there aren't many who can keep up with my lifestyle. Always working, always on a case..." he went on, eyes fixated on the tea in his cup, swirling it around. "What about you, Raidou? Any girls catch your fancy?" The boy was quiet a long moment, almost as if he was contemplating an answer when-"Not interested," he muttered, taking a sip of his tea, basking in the warmth it provided, hands cupped around the mug.

The answer himself caused Narumi to choke a bit on his own brew, "You're not?" The concept seemed absolutely foreign to him. Unless...

The boy simply shrugged, setting his cup down and getting to his feet. "I promised I'd sleep, didn't I..?" He moved towards the closet, sliding the door open and pulling out his futon. Subject dodged, Narumi set out to help the boy set the room up for sleep, starting with the table. "Right... It's really late. Are you sure you don't want to call out sick?"

"I have a test tomorrow..." meaning no. He was dead set on going to school like he was dead set on doing anything else. Boy was stubborn as hell, that was for sure. But given his upbringing he must have been raised to be.

Raidou set his futon out where the table had just been, offering a small nod of thanks. Once the bed was set up he went back to his closet to gather his night clothing... a simple white sleeping kimono. The kid really didn't have much, did he? It almost made Narumi feel bad. "Is it... all right if I camp here tonight?" He asked, sincerely worried about the boy's condition, as well as curious about the boy's choice of words. Raidou looked back over his shoulder at the man, curious. Just where would he sleep? There was only the one futon. Suddenly there was the faintest of blushes on his face. How lewd. No, no, he couldn't make judgments until he knew the whole story. "Why?"

"Are you kidding me? I have to make sure that you take care of that leg of yours, at least for tonight." He motioned to the still healing leg with a distinct frown on his face. "If you suddenly worsen and die, it'll guilt my conscious forever." Narumi leveled a stare at the boy, arms crossed. There was no way he was going to leave the kid alone, not right now. But surprisingly to not only Narumi, but the cat that was now curling up on Raidou's bed, the boy started laughing. Nothing over the top, just a little chuckle of amusement. Narumi thought he had finally cracked, "Is that funny or something, kid?"

After a few moments he quieted down, smiling tiredly at his companion. "You're so concerned, even if you barely know me. I guess it makes me happy..."

The reaction earned the boy a smile from the detective, who couldn't help but chuckle a little as well. "Some humans aren't that bad, I can assure you that. And..." He scratched his cheek a little nervously, "Someone who has crashed twice at my place with such injuries... I think I know you a little better than you think."

"Maybe..." Or perhaps not. Raidou excused himself to the bathroom to change his clothing to ready himself for bed, letting out a little yawn as he went. Meanwhile the detective pulled out a blanket from the closet, intending to wrap himself with that while he watched after the boy in sleep. If he couldn't keep the kid in bed at his place for observation, he could at least make sure he stayed in bed at his own place... Or at least stay off his leg, which so far he had not been doing.

Soon Raidou emerged from the bathroom, if one could even call the tiny space as much, ready for bed. He set his uniform aside and went to get into bed. Narumi grabbed one of the cushions from the floor, setting up against one of the walls with his blankets. "Did you take a pill?" He asked, noting how thin the blankets were... and how they smelled like the summoner. A nod was given in response, the teen crawling into bed for some much needed sleep. "Narumi-san... I'm glad you stayed."

Narumi had expected the opposite from him. He expected Raidou to be annoyed, demanding his space and demanding he stop coddling him. But a heartfelt thank you with that smile on his face, the man couldn't help but grin like an absolute git. "Hey, I just want to help you, so even this is enough for now." He murmured, pulling the blanket closer around him.

"...It's thoughtful. Thank you...And I'm sorry. I'm not used to it." Was the kid really so unused to human contact? The detective shook his head, "Just rest. You need to recover quickly if you want to stay in the game, kid."

"Don't be concerned. I'll be fine." But even he couldn't be so sure. Without a mentor besides his feline companion currently cuddled to his back he was at a loss. He knew nothing of this modern world, nothing of much at all besides his training and the traditions of home. Nothing much else applied in the life of a summoner, but could he function like that? Hell, he didn't even have anyone to drag him home and tend his wounds. Poor kid really was alone.

But that wasn't entirely true, was it? There was the man who currently sat huddled at the foot of his bed, fighting off sleep himself for the sake of keeping an eye on the injured boy. Narumi had offered to help him, patch him up if he was injured, even offer him shelter if he was too far from home. With all that, could he really say he was alone?

Yet one had to ask, why? Why did he care so much that he'd put his own life at risk to help someone he had met just a short time ago? Was there a motive, or was it out of some naïve emotional attachment?

Questions left unanswered.

"Wake me if you need anything." Narumi muttered, starting to doze off himself. "I mean it, anything, even just a glass of water."

Raidou couldn't help but smirk at the man's words. Yeah, maybe he wasn't quite alone after all. With that in mind he left his eyes slip closed, about ready to drift off any second. "...Good night, Narumi-san..."

"Sweet dreams, kid."

Satisfied with the response Raidou let himself fall asleep, desperately needing his rest for the day ahead.

Narumi would not find sleep for some time after. As much as he tried to settle down, put his mind at ease, the events from the evening kept replaying in his head. Raidou's eyes when they stared at the unforeseen enemy, just seconds away from delivering the killing boy, the fear he tried to mask when he was so close to meeting his demise. Then his expression when he realized he was not alone, and the first thing he thought was to get Narumi to safety with no regard for his own. This kid, this _child_, so selfless, yet Narumi was privy to the sight of him shaking, weakly attempting to continue the fight while trying to protect a civilian, a near stranger, from meeting the same fate as he did.

It was as if he was ready to throw himself to the beast if it would save Narumi's life, and that alone bothered him to no end. He clearly remembered how the boy felt against him, bony back pressed against his chest, body still heaving to catch his breath, both trembling with fear and exhilaration. Together they had delivered the killing blow, and Narumi was unsure if the fight would have ended the same way if he had not risked his own life to come to the boy's aide.

It made him wonder just how many near-death experiences, how many life-threatening battles the boy had been in. Was it just the Cerberus, or were there more? How many before Narumi had found him that night? How many times did Raidou have to crawl back to his tiny, undecorated flat and tend his own wounds, silently wishing he had someone by his side? It broke his heart to think of it, and somehow Narumi found himself shifting from his spot against the wall to sprawl out on the tatami next to the boy, simple watching him sleep, trying to pick out any minute changes in his breathing that would indicate he was in pain... Or perhaps he was simply admiring his angelic visage; the long lashes, the plump lips, the pale, slightly bruised skin... _He's almost too pretty to be human. _Narumi mused, hand slowly reaching to caress that smooth skin.

His hand stopped not even half-way there.

_What am I doing?_

The hand was pulled back and tucked firmly beneath the blanket, Narumi chastising himself for the awkward emotions circling his head. He didn't dare address them, not now. _These paternal feelings are getting out of hand._ The man adjusted the cushion beneath his head and forced his eyes closed. With any luck, his body would take this as a sign to slow down and allow him rest.

Once again he realized he'd be going without for the night.


	8. Chapter 8

The complete and total lack of proper sleep was only further emphasized when the boys alarm went off at 7 am. The obnoxious thing buzzed damn near loud enough to rattle the frazzled man's skull. But more importantly it served to wake the boy snoozing just inches from him. Raidou shifted, muttering something along the lines of 'that time already?' as he woke. The alarm was swatted by a tired hand and the boy sat up, face blank and eyes half closed. He looked about as good as death warmed over.

After the clock, the first thing that Raidou's eyes would fall upon was the lightly snoring detective curled up at his bedside. Was he asleep? Or was he just pretending to appease whatever worries the boy had? Raidou couldn't help but smile; the man looked so peaceful like that. Raidou slowly moved closer, reaching over to gently shake his shoulder.

The hand landed in his hair instead, soft curls nestled around lean, rather dainty fingers. Raidou had no clue what had driven him to do this. What he did know was that it felt nice, made him smile if only a little. But he knew he shouldn't have let his childish desire manifest in this way. This kind of thing was forbidden, not allowed. He wasn't supposed to get too close.

And running his hands through another man's hair wasn't proper of a Kuzunoha. This idea firmly planted in his mind he slowly pulled away, got up to dress and gather his things. He left the futon on, just incase the worn out detective woke and wanted to use it. He was sure he hadn't slept well if he was on the floor. Ever the thoughtful one.

In just under twenty minute he was dressed and ready, face washed and hair brushed with his usual hat in place. Sans cloak and plus shoulder bag he headed out the door, leaving Narumi to sleep with a short note on the kitchen counter for him.

Off to school; he caught the bus to Yumizuki Boys School at the usual place two blocks down the way. As he made his way to school he couldn't help it as his thoughts kept trailing back to the detective sleeping at his flat. He'd saved his life twice now and had asked for nothing in return. He wanted to protect him, even if he himself didn't think he needed protection. But still...that kind, thoughtful resolve that always lingered in Narumi's eyes when he looked at the boy had to mean something. It made his heart flutter thinking of it, made his pretty full lips turn up into a smile. He'd have to do something to repay him. With that in mind he hurried off the bus and through the gates of the prestigious private school with a smile in his eyes and energy to spare.

When he returned that night, the apartment would be empty. The futon folded and placed back in the closet, the table and cushions all neatly arranged in the center of the room. The tea set had been cleaned and put away, the counters wiped down. The apartment was tidy before, but now it was immaculate. Narumi must have taken the time to clean before he left. A note on the counter was all that remained:

_Rest when you get home. I'll come by with more medication._

_~N.S._

A promise to return from the detective. Seeing this was just a little surprising. A little, but somehow Raidou expected it. With a small smile he set the note aside and sat at the table to do his homework.

"You seem to be walking better today, Jouhei." Gouto remarked from his designated spot near the window. He had kept quiet most of the day with the silent hope that the boy would take it easy. So far, nothing going, but at the very least the pain appeared to have lessened. That, or Raidou was damn good at hiding it.

"The painkillers Narumi-san provided have been helping," he replied, setting up his books and notebook on the table to study. The cat grinned, hopping over to join the boy at the table, looking over his books with him. "Potent stuff. Makes you wonder where he gets his supplies. Better not be any place shady."

"He said he was a police officer before. I doubt it's anywhere like you're thinking."

"Before. Keyword." Gouto lay down next to the open book, tail swaying in the air. "Did he ever say why he was an ex-cop?"

Beginning to take down notes for the test he had on Monday he replied, "Corruption, he said."

"Corruption." He mulled that over, trying to think on what sort of corruption would cause the man to leave. It could be many things, but none of them would lead to him being on positive terms enough to get high-powered drugs from anyone still in the force. There had to be something else, another source. "Just be careful, Jouhei."

Raidou offered a nod in response, nose buried in his homework. He would not have long to work, however, for a knock at the door signaled the arrival of a guest. Gouto's ears perked up, eyes narrowing at the door. "Who could that be?"

"Raidou? You home?" A familiar voice seeped in through the door, hardly muffled; the walls were thin. One could recognize it right away.

Raidou stared at the door a good few seconds before bolting for it, far faster than he should have. He nearly lost his balance and landed on his face when the jolt sent pain up his leg. He barely held in a yelp and caught himself against the door. Smooth, real smooth. Shakily he opened the door to greet his guest.

Narumi stood with a small grocery bag of vegetables and dried noodles; groceries. Apparently he had gone by one of the local markets before coming to the apartment. There was a smile on his face when his eyes met the boy's, but happy expression quickly turned to that of worry when he saw the state the boy was in. "Hurt, didn't it?" He asked, frowning a little and motioning to his leg. So he heard him running, and probably the little cry of pain.

The pout he gave told him it had indeed hurt, but he wasn't interested in admitting it. He stood aside, allowing Narumi to come in. "How was school?" He asked, setting the groceries down on the tiny amount of counter space the boy had in the kitchen. "Stayed off that leg, I hope."

The front door was closed and Raidou returned to his school work, assuming Narumi was intending to cook. He wasn't about to stop him. "It was fine... I got a perfect score on my test and got high scores in kendo today..." he rattled off as if he were being asked by someone high up in the force. Yet the response only seemed to garner a negative attention, "I'm glad you did well but should you really be doing _kendo_ when you're still recovering?"

"It's important to keep up with my sword training."

Narumi quirked a brow but turned to the bag he had brought in, "If you say so." He muttered, rummaging through the contents. The dried noodles and what appeared to be ready-made frozen steak cutlets were set out on the counter, followed by a bottle of medicine and a large, rectangular pouch of sorts. "Raidou, take your pants off."

That got the kids full attention right quick, head turning to stare up at the man. Gouto hissed, suddenly on the offensive, on his feet with back arched. Narumi, realizing what he just said and how it sounded, sought to correct himself. He held up the pack, showing it to the boy. "Not like that! It's a heating pad for your leg. It sticks to the skin. I'm not intending anything unscrupulous!" Panic, embarrassment, was Narumi's face red? Raidou continued to stare, now seeming mildly confused. But he did as he was told, much to Gouto's protest.

To be polite, Narumi politely turned away, pulling a blanket from the closet and tossing it to the boy. "Cover up with this..." Raidou muttered a word of thanks and pulled the blanket over his shoulders, ignoring the yowls from the cat to 'put his pants back on this instant'. He folded them neatly and set them aside then continued with his homework while Narumi did as he pleased.

The man knelt next to him, peeling the adhesive off and holding it up for the boy to see. "You put this over the stitching and it helps with the pain." His eyes wandered over the blanket and up to the boy's face again, "Want me to do it or would you rather?"

"You can do it if you'd like..." he muttered, busily taking notes. He really didn't seem to mind all this. It was the cat that was having a fit.

Somewhat perturbed, Narumi pulled the blanket back just far enough to expose one marred, milky thigh, seeing a bit of inflammation. "You really need to stay off of this, kid..." He ran a finger across the raised stitches, noting it was hot to the touch. He immediately stuck the backing back onto the heat-pack, "You need to ice it for a while. It's swelling."

"Think it's infected?" Raidou asked this so calmly. Did he even care if it was? He could lose his leg if he'd gotten an infection in a vital place like that. The nonchalant attitude put Narumi on edge. "We better hope not. I'm gonna clean this thing first, then ice it. Be honest, is it painful?" He leveled a look with the boy, staring right at him. He needed the kid to be truthful otherwise it could greatly affect his health.

Their eyes met, Raidou looking up at him so innocently past that stone faced facade. "I took one of your painkillers." Meaning that yes it did indeed hurt. Truthfully, without the medication it was throbbing. The detective sighed, getting to his feet. "Cleaning, pain pills, ice pack, _then_ the heat pad... Good thing I came over." The tone in his voice easily denoted that he was not amused. All the while Gouto was yowling unpleasantly at the man. For what? He wasn't sure. "The hell is your cat going on about, Raidou?"

"He's upset with me, not you. Please don't concern yourself." Of course Gouto was upset with him. The boy had been neglecting himself and possibly had an infection in his leg thanks to his idiocy. The cat paced around the room, yammering on and on about how he needed to stop being so careless and learn to take it easy when he needed to. Raidou seemed to be getting this lecture a lot recently.

Narumi returned with a cold cloth and a bit of alcohol, ready to clean the wound out. "This is gonna sting a bit, not gonna lie." And without further ado, he began dabbing the harsh chemical onto the stitching.

Damn right it stung and more than a bit. The boy gasped in surprise, damn near to crying out. He tug his nails into the tatami mat below him, hissing softly in pain, eyes focused intently in Narumi's working hands. Yet even with the burning, Narumi was surprisingly gentle when cleaning the wound, wary of where it would be tender, knowing that the boy was already in enough pain. "I really wish you'd stay off the leg for a couple days... At least until your Pixie heals this. If you don't, it's going to get infect and rot off... You don't want that, do you?"

Raidou frowned at the idea, slowly shaking his head. No, he couldn't have something like that happen. He'd be useless to his clan if he lost his leg. With much chagrin he agreed. The next day was Sunday anyhow. No school.

The detective finished cleaning the wound and went to make-up an icepack. Not much in the way of food in the fridge, he noticed. Narumi absently wondered what the boy usually ate. There was an icemaker at least. He quickly filled a zip-seal bag with ice and wrapped it in a towel, handing it to the summoner. "Keep that on your leg while I fix up your dinner. It'll help the swelling." The man fumbled for some of the pills that he had given Raidou, handing two and a glass of water to the boy. "Keep up with these too."

The summoner nodded in reply and downed the pilled, taking a good sip of water. After that it was back to his school work... and muttering apologies to Gouto. The cat turned up his nose, "You should take the advice of your elders, Jouhei." And with that, he went over to the kitchen, fully intending to get underfoot with Narumi. And thanks to that idea the cat got his tail stepped on.

"Ouch!" The old summoner yelped, "Jouhei, the oaf stepped on me!"

"You were trying to trip him up." Seems even Gouto couldn't put one over on Raidou. The cat frowned and trotted over, glowering at Narumi. The man was glowering right back. "Your cat hates me, doesn't he?"

Raidou shook his head softly and shrugged. Narumi sighed, going back to preparing the meal. "What's your homework over tonight anyway?" He asked, checking the consistency of one of the long udon noodles. "It's not really homework. I'm just studying." He smiled a little over at the man, reaching for his glass of water. "I figured you would have wanted me to stay home tonight instead of patrol."

"Damn straight." Narumi pulled the pot from the hot plate and dumped the excess water into the sink, setting it aside. Now onto the steak. "If it were up to me, you'd stay home from school, but I'm not your mother."

"I'll stay home a few days if you want..." That got a rise out of the older man; He'd do it if he wanted it? Narumi quickly shook his head, "Do _you_ want to stay home and rest? You make the decision. That's not my job."

"I don't have any cases right now. I'm enrolled as an exception, so it won't matter if I miss a few days." Cool, polite, straight forward, and completely personally unattached. This kid was way too weird, too mechanical. It was giving Narumi the creeps. "Raidou." He turned to face him, arms crossed, a disparaging expression on his face. "What would make you happiest?" A simple question; based on the boy's opinion what would please him most. A test, clearly. Raidou turned his eyes back to Narumi, looking utterly lost. What would make him happiest? It was so foreign a concept. He just shook his head, perplexed.

It was just as he feared. Narumi found himself sighing again, "First rule of living on your own; you have a job, yeah? But don't let that job dictate your world. You have a choice on what you do with yourself every day, and no one can make that choice besides you." Freedom, free will, things that, as he recalled, were not something the Yatagarasu taught to its disciples. It was sad, really, but a fact that Narumi was finding himself faced with more and more when it came to the summoner. He had been raised not to have a mind of his own but to obey the will of the Herald and the Yatagarasu. It wasn't that they didn't allow free thinking; it was that they wanted as little resistance was possible.

Raidou, of course, would protest. "This job is the only reason I'm here. I was assigned to protect the capitol and have a responsibility to do just that. That is my reason for anything." With words like that, it was just more and more proof of how the Kuzunoha clan worked. But he wasn't born into the clan, was he? Even so he must have had a life before. What about family? Parents, siblings? Didn't he have anyone that worried for him, would miss him if he was gone?

"But what about what _you_ want, Raidou?" Narumi stepped away from the counter, leaving the meat to sizzle in the skillet as he sat on the floor next to the boy. "Don't you have any goals outside of serving the Yatagarasu? What about your folks, what do they think of all this? Don't they worry?"

Blue-grey eyes followed the man's every move as he came closer, looking more than a little confused. A goal outside of his service? He didn't understand. What higher goal could there be? And..."...Folks?" He didn't understand the meaning of the word.

"Folks, you know, your parents? Good ol' ma and pa in the old country?"

Parents? A family. No, he didn't know a thing about that. "...I don't have any." The room suddenly felt cold, the air thick. Narumi almost felt bad for asking. "So... You've been raised by the clan, haven't you?" There was no family. No wonder the kid was such a robot. Narumi had to fight the urge to give the boy a hug.

Raidou shook his head a in reply, not knowing what else he could really say. He had no family. He was fine. That was really it. Still, Narumi couldn't fight the urge to wrap the boy up in his arms. Why? Even he was beginning to question his sudden need for physical contact. He settled for a pat on the shoulder, "Ehn, well... Do you plan on doing anything for yourself? Or is it all the summoning biz."

A good question; something that required a well thought out and complex answer. Raidou had none. Instead he simply shook his head. All the more reason for Narumi to worry. He returned to his cooking with a sigh, "We'll work on that... the whole life goal thing. Doesn't do a kid your age any good to not have a destination in mind." He mused, poking at the sizzling steak with a two-pronged fork. Raidou continued to watch him curiously, unsure as to what he meant. He was always under the impression that his life goal was to fight for the clan, protect the masses. He didn't know he was meant to do anything else.

Within a few minutes Raidou was presented with a bowl of noodles topped with steak cutlets, served with a smile. "Here you go, kiddo! Sorry, the deli was closed by the time I got there, so it's not as fresh... but it'll taste great with a bit of soy sauce, I'll bet!" Narumi looked almost disproportionately satisfied with his handiwork. Perhaps he didn't get to cook for others much? The kid seemed grateful enough. With a small smile of thanks he took up his chopsticks and put his hands together in a little prayer. A quiet 'itadakimasu' later and he was tentatively picking at the meal, nibbling on a bit of cutlet. To Narumi's surprise a moment later he smiled around his utensils, looking very pleased.

"Any good?" Narumi took a seat next to him, nudging his study material out of the way to save it from the drip of any sauce that may stray from the bowl. Or the boy's cheek, either or. His answer was only that the boy continued eating, happily at that. It was all the answer he needed.

Satisfied, Narumi reached into the grocery bag and fished out the can of coffee he had picked up along with way. Raidou didn't have anything in the way of bean-related beverage preparation in the scant supply of appliances he had in the flat, so he'd have to do with pre-made stuff. Upon tasting the chilled beverage he made a face, sticking out his tongue. Sugary tar water, but it was caffeine. It'd have to do. "At least you're eating. You don't make much food here, do you? Your fridge is emptier than my savings account." A bad joke, but it was accurate. Most of his funds went directly into bills, or his bad shopping habit.

The boy finished his food silently, sure Narumi needed no answer, that he already had one of his own. After he'd finished his meal he got up from the table, dish and utensils in hand, and moved to wash them in the sink.

A hand instantly grabbed for his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. "Ah-ah! Sit, I'll do it. Keep that ice pack on your leg." And before he could protest, the bowl and chopsticks were plucked from his hands and carried to the sink by the detective. Raidou watched him go, dumbfounded. But this only lasted a second. Seeing Narumi act like this, treating him well like this really made the boy happy. With a tiny smile he went to sit again, setting the icepack back in place and getting down to business with his studies.

"Wonder what his angle is." Gouto mused, yawning in a bit of boredom on the table.

The cat was ignored, Raidou busying himself with his school work. He didn't want to hear Gouto's theories on how the detective in their stead was evil, or crass, rude, an idiot or otherwise. If he wanted to talk with anyone about Narumi it would be to Narumi. All else was just speculation. Besides, it didn't' matter at the end of the day if the cat found him to be a respectable man or not. Raidou trusted him. That was all that mattered.

Dishes finished, Narumi took a seat again at the table, deciding that if was going to spend 200 yen on a canned iced coffee, he may as well finish it. "Those pain pills kicking in yet?" He asked, choking down a good half of the can's contents just to get it over with. _What I would do for some fresh grounds..._ He thought woefully.

"Yes. Thank you." The first words he'd spoken in the last ten minutes. This kid as way too good at the silent treatment. That, or far too used to being silent.

Narumi sought to correct this with more pointless banter. "I'm surprised you've been able to walk around so well with that... It looks like it really hurts, kid."

"It's fine..." the boy muttered, still diligently working on writing down math formulas. So much for conversation.

Still, Narumi was determined to get the kid to be more sociable, even if it meant some low blows to the kid's pride. "...Do you normally ignore your guests when they're talking to you?"

Immediately the pencil stilled, Raidou slowly gazing up to meet the detective's eyes. The look he had on his face was of total guilt. He put the pencil down and set his now folded hands in his lap, offering a little bow of his head in apology. The man couldn't help but chuckle at that pathetic look, "Chill, Raidou. I'm not calling you rude, I was just hoping you'd... you know, try to talk to me?" Narumi trailed off, cupping his chin in one palm. "Or would you rather I leave so you can get back to your studying?"

"No, it's fine." As usual Raidou put everyone else before himself. Though at this point, Narumi wasn't so sure if he was 'fine' with that or not. "Raidou, if you want me to leave you alone so you can study, I will. You decide." Again with the freedom exercises. The man only hoped he could get him to actually decide at this point, to have an opinion.

It took a moment. A good few moments actually, but finally he spoke up with his opinion. "I'd like you to stay..."

Narumi: 1

Yatagarasu: Zilch

The detective mentally pranced in glee over the small victory, reaching for the icepack to check the condition of his leg. "Swellings starting to go down... Good." He grinned, placing the icepack back none-too-gently onto the sore wound. Raidou had to hold back a wince, doing so rather well actually. If there was one thing he was good at, it was masking his emotions. Pain was included.

The detective managed to catch the veiled reaction, but said nothing. "Is it all right if I come over tomorrow to take a look at it?" Because honestly, he didn't believe the boy would properly clean and ice it as needed himself. Narumi could tell already that Raidou was less than stellar at looking out for his own health.

"If you'd like." Meaning, of course, that he wanted him to come over, but he was masking it, turning it towards Narumi as if it were his decision. Ah, so he did have a way of expressing his wants. He just had a way of disguising them. Narumi grinned, "I wouldn't mind." His smile faded into something of a grimace when he looked at the can of coffee sitting on the table. "I'll just need to bring over my thermos of java. I've had better stuff than this at the station." The can was plucked up, crushed, and tossed into the waste bin just a few feet away, Narumi making a face of "good riddance" to the offending beverage.

Raidou watched this little show, lips finally perking up into the first smile Narumi had seen on the kid in a while. Soft, kind, cute.

"I saw that." The man pointed accusingly to the boy's face.

Instantly the smile was wiped off his face. But only briefly. A moment later it returned in full swing, and just a little bigger, even cuter. Narumi could not help but grin in return, "You should do that more often. Smiling, that is."

"As you've said..." He could have sworn Narumi had said it before, sometime when he was half asleep or bordering on passing out.

"And I stand by that statement!" Narumi announced proudly, puffing out his chest. It seemed like the antics would continue, but their bubbly conversation was soon interrupted by the harsh beeping of the man's phone from his jacket pocket. "Ah, I gotta get that." He excused himself from the small table and went to retrieve his jacket from the hanging rack on the back of Raidou's door. It continued beeping even as he stared at it, face tense, lips that were usually turned up in a soft smile now straight in thin. He pressed a button on the screen and held the device to his ear. "This is Narumi." Not his usual greeting. Of all the times Raidou had witnessed the man use the device, he always answered with "Narumi Detective Agency", since it served as his primary office phone. But now... Whomever he was talking to must know him aside from his business. "Understood. I'll be there. Text me the details." The detective spoke in hushed tones, glancing over to Raidou as he did, as if checking to see if he was listening. The conversation ended, Narumi pocketing his phone with a grin. "Sorry kid, I gotta go meet up with a client."

Raidou blinked once, a curious look on his face. So he had indeed been watching the exchange. He also seemed mildly distraught about it. Could it be he didn't want the man to leave? But of course, after a moment he gave a small nod of understanding. He'd see the man the next day, right?

Sensing this, Narumi sought to reassure it. "Sorry, the guy won't wait till a better time. Switch from ice to that heat pack in another fifteen minutes or so, then keep it on until you go to bed. Sound good?" He gave him a wink, hoping the kid would remember the instructions... or even bother to do it at all.

Raidou nodded his agreement, making a mental note to also go to bed a little earlier. Narumi had said he wanted him to rest, didn't he? The nod earned him a pat on the head, sans hat. "Call me if you need anything, okay?" And before the boy could say anything, a word of thanks or otherwise, the man had left, closing the door behind him. Raidou watched him go, suddenly feeling something stir in his chest. It almost felt like it was colder inside the tiny flat, like a piece of him had left with Narumi.

His thoughts were brought back to reality with the annoyed voice of his mentor ringing in his ears. "That was an unusual exit for him." Gouto mused, pawing over to pull the latch on the door lock, "Wouldn't you say?"

"...A bit." Raidou pulled his books back over to continue studying. But for the life of him he couldn't concentrate. His thoughts kept going back to Narumi and the fact that he had indeed left abruptly. It really made him wonder why.

That cat returned to the table, making himself comfortable. "It's strange. He said it was a client, but that was very casual for someone conducting business. What sort of client do you think that was, Jouhei?"

Raidou thought on it a moment before responding. "Someone he must be familiar with to be so informal." Yet he sound hesitant, almost displeased. It was worrisome. "If it was, then you think he'd be a bit warmer. Narumi is self-employed, so it's not his boss... Something's fishy, Jouhei." The cat finally made his feelings known. The way Narumi had acted, a complete 180 from intending to stay and care for the boy to quickly making an exit to some undisclosed location with someone he was likely fretting over seeing... It was all too suspicious.

"I'm sure it's fine. Narumi-san is a respectable man."

"A respectable man that's an ex-cop with access to controlled substances and medical equipment even surgeons have trouble getting cleared for personal use. Something isn't right, Jouhei. You need to look into it." _Before you get in too deep,_ he added mentally.

The kid, of course, didn't share the sentiment. He liked Narumi fine. Sure, he didn't know much about him, but what he did know of him was that he was a good man. The look in his eyes said that.

But even when he believed him to be a good man at heart he knew Gouto was just trying to look out for him. He knew he was young, naive. That, and Gouto had given him an order, indirect or not. What choice did he have but to clear the man's name? With a single nod he agreed, determined to prove the detective and honorable man.


	9. Chapter 9

In spite of the boy's best interest, and Narumi's complaints, Raidou once again found himself out and about the next day. Not at school like Narumi would suspect, or on patrol as his clan required, but rather doing a bit of legwork around town. His mission was clear; check up on Narumi Shouhei. His past, his reasons for the sudden career change, and just what the man was doing sneaking around shady corners. Gouto wasn't going to let his suspicions drop until he had cleared the man of all suspected wrongs. There were many places he could conduct research, some of which the boy was acutely familiar with like the police station, but so far he had only checked out some local shops. Like the woman who owned a traditional restaurant Narumi was apparently fond of and a few other local vendors. So far, the only crime he had been accused of was an inability to pay his bills. Apparently the woman who owned the Ryuuga was _very_ interested in finding him to call his tab. The owner of the dessert parlor too. And Tawara-ya...

But thus far, for reasons Raidou wasn't apt to disclose, he hadn't done much in the way of actual investigating. Perhaps he was afraid of what he would find, that any discoveries would cast a bad light on the man he had managed to grow close to. This fact alone was beginning to grate on a particularly aggravated feline that followed him close behind. "You know where you should check, Jouhei... Why are you stalling?" Gouto had been at it since they had left that morning. With Raidou only going to places that can vouch for Narumi's character and not what nitty-gritty, probably grisly details the man was hiding in his past, or his underground operations.

Of course the boy would protest as best he could, plead his case. Narumi was an upstanding guy. He'd taken care of him, after all. So why would he be suspected of anything seedy. "There shouldn't be any need to go to the police station. Narumi-san just seems to be a good man that spends more than he makes."

"Jouhei..." The cat began, a tone of warning in his voice. "You know why I have my suspicions... And if he's pressed for cash that's even more reason to suspect he might be doing something shady." Gouto trot ahead, parking himself right in the boy's path to stop him. "Or have you forgotten that shady phone call?"

Raidou stopped as expected, frowning down at the feline. "I remember well. I'm just saying that there must be a perfectly innocent explanation for it."

"If there is, why beat around the bush?" His mentor scathed, leveling a glare at his disciple. "Go to the source and stop trying to find his innocence in the eyes of the local shop owners waiting to be paid."

Now, the boy wanted to protest further, wanted to declare that he himself also trusted the man. Just because of what he did for him, the way he'd helped him... He remembered those eyes that were always on him, deep honey brown and always worried when they were watching him. A man with those kind of eyes was a good man, a man that meant no harm.

He could get lost in those eyes.

But he was under orders from his predecessor. He had no choice but to follow those orders. Begrudgingly he agreed blank-faced and quiet. "I understand."

Finally somewhat placated, Gouto eased up, making two jumps from a nearby wall and then onto the boy's shoulder to perch. "Then let's speak with Waruo. He was around when Narumi was on the force, right?"

"Yes."

Raidou found himself inside the police station downtown, wandering around the homicide and vice departments attempting to locate the aforementioned man. Not as easy as it sounded. For a police station they weren't the best at organization. That, and for some reason not a whole lot of cops in the building wanted to talk to Raidou. Curious.

"Kuzunoha-kun?" A tall, slim man with chin-length chocolate hair and a pleasantly surprised expression approached him, a cup of steaming coffee (or black tar as Narumi would have described it) in each hand. He was dressed in his usual business casual attire, black slacks, navy blue button-down, and a conservative tie. "What are you doing here? Did you need something?"

Raidou stopped to face the man. "Futsuo-san." Just the person he needed to see. "Yes, I came to speak with your partner. Is he here?"

"Speak with Waruo?" The older man blinked. They were closer in age than Waruo, and he still very much had a baby face. It was no surprise that he still caught a lot of flak for being one of the younger ones in the division. "What did you want with him?"

Though they were closer in age, Raidou was by far the quieter one, more adult almost. He gazed at the other, pretty face blank as a marble slate. "I need to ask about Narumi Shouhei."

Futsuo cast him an inquisitive look, perplexed. "Shouhei-san? Well..." He seemed to consider this for a second before nodding in agreement. "Come with me. Waruo is in the rec room." The officer pointed towards the opposite end of the hall with an almost nervous look on his face, as if he was doing something he ought not to. Was this even allowed? Regardless, Raidou was thankful. With this information he would hopefully be able to clear Narumi's name. Waruo was a friend of his from his police force days, wasn't he? He couldn't have anything bad to say about him. Raidou nodded his thanks, following close behind, cat in tow.

At the time Waruo was slouched over a card table with a few other uniformed men, neck deep in what looked to be a very competitive game of poker. A thick cloud of cigarette smoke hovered in the air above their heads, mocking the very clearly posted "Thank You for Not Smoking" sign on the wall. When the door opened, however, the five officers seated quickly snuffed out their smokes, one getting up to dart for the window to vent the place until he realized who it was that walked in. Everyone collectively relaxed when they saw it was just a fellow officer and not someone in power.

"Kuzunoha." Waruo regarded the boy over his square glasses, setting his cards down.

The boy stepped into the room, eyes slowly moving back and forth to give it a once over. Once he'd assessed the current situation and determined what was going on the curious blue-grey orbs drifted back towards the officer. Raidou nodded once in greeting.

Futsuo was first to speak after that, "Waruo, Kuzunoha-kun needs to talk to you about... someone." The older officer quirked a brow, pushing away from the table. With both hands in his trench coat pocket he approached the young summoner. "Yeah? About who?"

"Narumi Shouhei." The name alone brought an eerie silence to the room. Even Waruo looked shocked, but it was more directed to his partner. "Futsuo..."

The younger detective immediately threw his hands up in defense, "Hey, I can't say anything! If there's any info we can give, _you_ know what can be given." Futsuo quickly explained, backing up a step. The expression on Waruo's face clearly showed he was not amused.

"Giving information about an officer, even an ex-officer, can get you canned, Futsuo." The spikey haired man whispered harshly, glancing to the side, wary of a few people who were listening in. "Why do you need to know anyway, Kuzunoha? Is he giving you trouble?"

The younger one watched the exchange between the two officers, taking all this in. Clearly there was more that met the eye if the man was getting so worked up about it, and it wasn't just because he wasn't part of the force. Fortunately because of the affiliation with the Yatagarasu, Raidou could acquire any information from any government facility in league with them. A cushy gig, really.

To the almost guarded question Raidou shook his head slowly. "Nothing like that."

Waruo once again looked to Futsuo, casting him what could only be described as a "pissed" look. He sighed, shrugging with his hands still tucked in his pockets. "There isn't much we can say that's not public, Kuzunoha."

"I haven't been made privy to any information about him besides him being an ex-officer." Raidou replied, staying firm. Seeing this the older man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, we can't just-"

"Did you say you wanted to know about Narumi Shouhei?"

The three turned to look at one of the men at the table. He was older, probably in his late forties, with short cropped dark hair and a bit of five o'clock shadow on his chin. The man's eyes looked worn under his bushy brows, clearly someone who had been in the game for quite some time, yet he seemed to light up at the thought of an information exchange about Narumi. When the two younger officers noticed who had spoken, they both exchanged worried looks. "Kazama-san...!"

The boy's attentions were instantly drawn the older detective's way. Could it be that he knew anything?

"If you're looking for info on Narumi Shouhei, I'm up for a little discussion." The man stood, rounding their small playing table to join the group by the door. Waruo cast the man a disparaging glance, frowning deeply. "Kazama-san, you can't-!"

A hand was brought before his face, effectively stopping him mid-sentence. The man extended a hand to Raidou, an almost malicious glint in his eye. "Kazama, I'm a detective here, and I'm... _familiar_ with Narumi Shouhei."

Raidou almost arched backwards a little, not trusting this man an inch. Not with that look in his eye. Even Gouto muttered something about him being up to no good. But ever the polite boy and wanting that promised information, Raidou shook his hand with a little nod. "Kuzunoha Raidou. I'd like to know all I could, please."

Kazama looked delighted at the opportunity, "Come with me to my office, we'll talk." He clapped a hand on his shoulder, leading him towards the hall door.

The boy had to hold back a flinch, following as requested. "And you said you had information on Narumi-san?"

"I've been investigating that man for seven years. I've definitely got information." The man grinned. Investigating? Investigating him for what?

"Hm... Looks like we've found our guy." Gouto mused, sticking close to Raidou without getting underfoot.

The office was anything but clean, case files piled up on the desk, the table to the side, and on top of the filing cabinets. For anyone remotely involved with the cleaning staff it must have been a nightmare to dust around. Raidou looked less than interested in being in the small, somewhat musty room. But he was interested in the information Detective Kazama provide. He stuck it out for that.

The man pulled up a chair for Raidou to sit at, taking his own squeaking leather lounger behind the worn cherry wood desk. "So... I'm assuming you have a reason for wanting to check up on Narumi Shouhei, right?" As Kazama spoke he took a key from his pocket, unlocking a desk drawer to his right and pulling out a single, if not thick, manila file. Across the front it read Narumi's name in red ink, and sloppily at that. From the condition of the folder, it had probably been used since he began investigating him. "Whatever findings you'd like to share, it'd be helpful to our cause."

The boy took a seat across from Kazama, more than wary now. So this man was intending to get him to sell Narumi out. Not a chance. He leveled a look with the older man, all business. "I'd like to hear all you have to say. Please tell me what you know."

"Well, he's been under investigation for seven murders for seven years now."

Both the cat and kid stared, taken aback. "Murders?"

Kazama nodded, leaning over his desk to pull out a set of photos. "You know the ones I'm talking about? Ah, you were just a kid then..." Several snapshots were dropped onto the table, all of them young men, all of them marked as being from ages fourteen to twenty. "It was all over the news as a cult killing. Seven kids over the span of seven weeks. Narumi and a few others were lead on the investigation."

"I knew it. Jouhei, I told you he was no good!" Gouto hissed, his point seemingly proven.

Raidou ignored the cat, looking over the pictures. What was there was enough to make any normal kid his age's stomach turn. But not Raidou. He regarded them like a seasoned homicide detective coldly. "And you suspect Narumi-san did this."

Kazama nodded sagely, scooping one of the many yellowing papers up to examine. "The investigation team was chasing a solid lead when Narumi derailed them and sent them in another direction. Thanks to his shenanigans, our suspect got away and remains free today." The edges of the paper crinkled as the old detective gripped it in his fist. "And now we can't even haul him in. The guy sure knows how to keep his nose clean."

Of course that was more than enough to convince Gouto. As far as he was concerned they had just proven Narumi was dangerous. But not Raidou. He kept that stone face, eyes turning up towards the older man. "If you suspect Narumi-san then there must be a reason. What's his objective in this? His motive?"

It looked as if the man had hit a mental hurdle and tripped, "Well... That's it, I—We can't figure what angle he's got, only that he was solely responsible for stopping the investigation, and now we have seven cold cases on our hands." Kazama shuffled through some more papers, as if looking for an inkling of proof that he could pin any of the murders on Narumi. "Our suspect was yakuza head, and from what we've learned Narumi is a close contact of his."

"Yakuza?" Interests piqued the summoner eyed Kazama questioningly. "Tell me about this Yakuza suspect."

"Him?" Kazama shuffled through some more papers, pulling out a suspect profile complete with snapshot. "Satake Kenzou..." He motioned to the snapshot of a smug looking tattooed man. "He's head of the Haguro-gumi."

"Haguro-gumi..." Gouto repeated, "They're pretty prevalent in this area. They've been suspected of organizing underground drug and skin trades. If Narumi is involved, then that would explain the shady phone call."

"Where can he be located?"

Another sheet of paper was pulled out and placed in front of Raidou. It depicted a map pinned with a few photocopied snapshots of an old bathhouse. "He frequents this place, but it's nearly impossible to get close." He pointed to another section of the paper; handwritten names hastily jotted, some ink running from a water stain. "He keeps his finest in the bath with him at all times, and I don't mean women. Hardened thugs, Kuzunoha-kun. Dangerous folk."

"I see." Raidou took in all this information, formulating a plan of action. A moment later he was getting to his feet. "Thank you for your time, Kazama-san." The boy muttered almost dismissively, turned and walked out of the office, making his way to the station exit.

"H-hey wait! Hold up!" Kazama pursued him, almost in a panic. "Just what are you planning to do with what I told you?" He received no answer besides that of a hissing cat, making him jump. He watched the cat run off after the black clad boy, scratching his head. A seasoned and experienced detective getting played hard by a child. He'd never live this down.

Kazama could hear the snickers of his subordinates as he moped his way back to the rec room.

"Jouhei, you're not seriously considering speaking with that Satake fellow, are you?" His mentor sat on his lap as Raidou rode the city bus towards Fukugawa. Given the time of day no one was around to complain about a feline being on board, so Gouto didn't feel the need to keep it down nor hide away under the seat.

"We only have part of the story," he replied, watching the world go by out the window. "If Narumi-san is involved with Satake-san then he would be the next person to see to learn more."

Gouto glared up at his student, as if to ask if he was joking with his gaze. "You hear the man is under suspicion of _seven murders of high school boys_ and you _still_ need more convincing?"

"Without a motive or evidence leading his way there isn't much of a case. My guess is what we heard today was nothing more than that detective's personal beliefs and nothing more."

Not even Gouto could disprove that theory. Kazama did seem to have some sort of vendetta against the former officer, and a large one at that judging by the size of his investigation file. Still, something seemed off. "You best come to a proper conclusion soon, Jouhei. And _please_ be careful. Yakuza are not your average thugs."

"I've heard." Cold, a little distant. He was thinking up a plan, a way to speak with the Yakuza boss. Did anything scare this kid? He was either very brave, or very naïve.

"Just don't get hurt when you're investigating the man that sews you back up." Was Gouto's last warning for that leg of the trip.

"I'll be fine Gouto."

A connecting bus ride later and a short walk on top of that, Raidou arrived at the bath house mentioned by the old detective. An old-fashioned bath house still in production; It was nice to see, and a little nostalgic. Save for the clientele that apparently frequented there. The outside seemed tame enough, but one peak in and you could see at least half of the patrons on the male side were tattooed beefcakes. One even glared when Raidou tried to enter fully clothed.

The boy noticed and frowned. He wasn't getting in that way. But then he had an idea. He began undressing as he walked towards the changing area, looking for a locker to stuff his clothing in. "Uh... Jouhei?" Gouto followed, avoiding every water puddle he could. "Towel?"

"No time." He found an empty one, tossing his folded clothing into the locker and shut it. He turned and left for the men's bathing room, sans clothing with hat still very much in place. He had his sights set on the muscled man with short black hair sitting at the end of the row, most of his body covered in tribal tattoos. From what he remembered about the details of the tattoos he could determine it was a rather high percentage of a chance that man was Satake.

Eyes were on him the entire time, some wandering in less than scrupulous places, pausing at the still healing stitched gash on his leg. The collection of muscled men surrounding Satake glowered up at him, sizing him up. He didn't get less than ten feet away from him when his path was effectively blocked by two men a good foot taller than him, and probably twice the mass each. "This isn't the place for schoolboys. Go on back to class, little man." One threatened, the other cracking his knuckles.

Raidou's eyes narrowed as the boy looked up at the two, effectively sizing them up as well. He hadn't expected this to get physical. Not this fast. "I'm here to see Satake-san."

The two before him collectively laughed in his face, crossing their arms. "No one gets to see Satake uninvited, and certainly no kids."

But the boy was insistent, standing his ground. "I have to see Satake-san."

Their expressions collectively darkened, one taking a half-step forward, "Are you deaf kid? No one gets to see Satake!"

"What business do you have with the boss anyhow?"

Only silence followed, the summoner tight lipped and frowning. He was going to see the man no matter what. He could hold the information that was key to clearing Narumi's name. Unfortunately, it looked like his stubbornness was seen as a threat. "Not budging, huh? Are we gonna have to throw you out?"

Refusing to budge, Raidou insisted once more. "I _need_ to see Satake-san."

It was then that Raidou got pushed, and hard, nearly enough to knock him over. "Beat it, kid!"

And once more, another hard shove, backing him towards the door. "You think comin' in here with your goods showing is gonna convince us? The boss don't swing that way!"

Raidou gasped in surprise at the first shove. He didn't expect someone to really have the balls to lay hands on a student in a public situation. A testament to his naivety. The second one he was ready for. He rolled his shoulder with the motion of the hard shove, body following, forcing the large man off balance. His off-hand grabbed the thug's wrist in mid motion, pulling him along with him. And just when the man thought Raidou was intending to bring him to fall on top of him he had the boys free elbow slam into his nose, effectively breaking it.

Shouts of pain echoed through the tiled room, the brute stumbling back with his hands over his blood-gushing nose. "Agh... My nose! Stupid brat broke my nose!" He wailed, stumbling back, hunched over as his partner threw a punch, shouting slew of curses towards the boy.

The punch was dodged easily, the boy ducking to the floor. A second later the man was on his back with stars in his eyes wondering what had happened. Judging by Raidou's pose on the tiled floor it had been one of those thin legs sweeping him off his own feet with one swift movement that had done it. Kid was not without skills.

The two men groaned as they tried to collect themselves from the slippery tile floor. From across the room a deep, low chuckle accompanied a slow clap. The man seated at the end of the bath stood, grinning slyly. "That's the first time I've seen anyone get a move over on those two. You're tougher than you look, for a wiry guy." The way he spoke, that commanding tone. This man was no doubt Satake.

Raidou slowly got to his feet, still wary and watching the men from the corner of his eyes, making sure they weren't prone to attack again. After a moment he determined them not to be a threat and moved closer to the gangster. "Are you Satake Kenzou?"

The man returned to his seat, towel draped over his lap, arms crossed. "And what does a student want with me?"

Taking this as a 'yes', Raidou bowed his head a little in respect. "I need information. Something I'm told only you can provide."

Satake quirked a brow, tilting his head to the side as he spoke. "That's a bit of a broad spectrum, isn't it? Heh..." The man popped his neck with a click flick of his head, grinning. "Fine, I'll bite. I'll give you a freebie today, kid, for giving me a bit of entertainment." He motioned to the goons who were scuttling off to the side. The look in their eyes said they'd be getting a proper beating later.

With a nod the boy moved to take a seat on a nearby stool, completely unashamed at his nudity. He was more focused on the case than any wandering eyes. "Do you know someone named Narumi Shouhei?"

Instantly the man seemed wary, his humoring slouch straightening to something far more defensive. "Depends why you're asking." Noting this reaction Raidou continued. "Any information you can give would be helpful."

Satake rubbed his chin, not so amused anymore. "Kid, if you're after a debt he owes you, I'm not going to sell him out to you. He's one of the better guys I know."

A little taken aback the boy shook his head, perplexed. Did Narumi really have so many debts? "It's nothing like that. I'm not meaning any harm to him."

The yakuza member stared him down, as if looking into his very soul. This lasted a few seconds before he relaxed, "You look like an honest kid. Makes me wonder what you're after info on him for."

"If I wasn't under orders then I wouldn't bother." Raidou replied, stone-faced. Again Satake seemed to be set off, "Are you a cop?" He queried, looking as if he'd throw the boy out himself if the answer was yes, clothes or no. To this a look was aimed at him, one that said 'do you honestly think the police would hire a teenager?'. The gangster shook his head, chuckling. "You've got too cute a face to be a cop..." Satake rubbed his chin, considering the boy's words. "Look, I'll level with you. I don't sell out my guys and I don't take kindly to people snooping around for info without a proper reason. But if you really mean him no harm, then I'll tell you what you want to know... with discretion."

Raidou nodded his agreement, expression softening to its usual blank stare.

"So, what is it you want to know?" Satake began, motioning to one of his lackeys for something. Raidou paid this no mind, no longer expecting the men to go after him. Instead he kept his gaze with that of the gangster. "Many things. Particularly about a case from seven years ago, one involving seven murders of teenagers and young adults."

"That's a heavy question, kid." Satake shifted slightly in his seat as the lackey brought over a can of beer, offering it with a bow before he waved him away. "You're wanting to know what Narumi's involvement was?"

Raidou nodded once, very interested in hearing what the man had to say. The lackey quickly returned with a glass bottle filled with an amber liquid. Satake nodded in approval and took it from him, popping the cap off with his thumb. "Nasty case. He was the head investigator, and managed to clear my name of any suspicions. Good thing, too. I didn't want to take the fall for that one."

"What happened exactly?"

"You didn't hear?" Satake took a sip of the bubbling liquid. Cider, apparently. "They pinned the murders on my guys." A quick thumbs up to the lackey seemed to cheer the group up considerably. Apparently they had found the proper drink for their boss. "Same old, same old. Yakuza aren't respected anymore; any excuse to get us behind bars will do. But they had nothing but circumstantial evidence."

"What were the particulars of the case? Detective Kazama gave little to no information about it other than Narumi-san was involved."

Satake gave him a peculiar look, "And you say you're not from the police... Hm." He knocked back his drink, exhaling deeply as he chucked the bottle to his waiting henchmen. "He lead the cops in the right direction. That's all I know. You could say I owe him, so I give him discounts, if you catch my drift."

Discounts. Could that have something to do with the strange call he received?

This explained much. Letting the topic slip somewhat he asked a different question. "Narumi-san has high powered anesthetics and supplies. These are things a civilian outside of the medical field could not obtain on their own. Could it be he's been acquiring them from you?"

The gangster shrugged, "Not me, specifically, but a source. He's rather hush-hush, but yes, he does get them through a tie of mine. He's gotten a lot recently as well." If Gouto could hear this, he'd be making a fuss loud enough to bother the customers.

"I see." He didn't seem to be all that bothered by it. Almost like he knew more than he let on. Satake seemed to catch onto this as well, "Said he picked up a stray and had been tending to his wounds, so he ran out of supplies quickly." The look in his eyes said he knew more than he was letting on, but the info in his brain was all too obvious to the young man. Raidou could see it in his eyes, but he let it go. Instead he decided to give away a little information of his own. Even exchange. He was a polite boy after all. "Ah. Yes, Narumi-san has been very good to me."

The grin on the gangster's face could only be described as mirthful. "So you're here checking up on the guy who's been caring for you. Smart kid. I'd say with your strength and wit you'd go far in my crew." He quickly shook his head, laughing. "But I'll give you some advice. Don't join up, you're better off finishing school."

Raidou smiled just a touch, one side of his lips perked up slightly. "Not interested."

"Good." He hitched a thumb towards the two men the boy had beaten so easily, "The life of a Yakuza is only for those without futures. You got yours, so get out."

The teen smirked in reply, slowly getting to his feet. "One more thing," he requested, continuing before Satake could speak. "About the case... Detective Kazama tried vigorously to point out that Narumi-san must have been involved."

Satake didn't seemed surprised at all about this news, "That guy... Heh, you should ask Narumi himself about him. He's had a grudge against him for years."

"...Has he?" This was a curious new development.

A nod. "Ever since he outranked the old man in his own division." This piqued Raidou's curiosity. He waited for the man to explain more. "I think he said two years in he got promoted to second lead in the vice division? Kazama wasn't always in the position he's in now." So in other words, Detective Kazama held a long-standing grudge against Narumi over something so petty. Go figure. It made Raidou want to shake his head. What a silly thing; humans were so petty. "I see..."

"Anyway." The man paused to crack his neck again, something of a usual habit for him, perhaps even a nervous tick. "That's all for today. You got your freebie. Next time I'll charge."

"May I ask one more thing before I leave?" Seems the kid was as insistent as he was ballsy. At least Satake could appreciate that, "Yeah, what is it?"

"You know Narumi-san well. I suspect you are a good judge of character. So if that's true, would you say Narumi-san could be able to commit a murder?"

While most people would have recoiled at the question or asked just why the boy was thinking so morbidly, Satake simply shrugged. "Who knows. Desperation can do nasty things to a guy. If the need was there, anyone could turn on their fellow man... But..." His eyes leveled with Raidou, sharp and cold, the complete opposite of Narumi's eyes. "A guy who nurses strays back to health isn't quite the killer type, is he?"

To this Raidou... smiled. Kindly. He seemed elated by the man's answer, yet so quietly so. Was this boy so emotionally stunted? It got his brain ticking. "Kid, who are you anyway? I know I've seen you around."

And suddenly the smile was gone, replaced by that stone face. "Ah, that's right. I haven't introduced myself. Forgive me." He lowered his upper half into a proper bow, arms at his sides, eyes lowered. "Kuzunoha Raidou."

Hearing that name seemed to set Satake on edge again. "Suddenly it makes sense. Well, if that's all your "boss" wanted to know, I guess we're in the clear, huh?" He spoke quickly, stiffly, and was that a note of negativity in his voice? Being head of the local Yakuza, he had surely heard of the Yatagarasu, and in turn the summoner's employed by them judging from his reaction to the boy's name. It really made one wonder what a normal person's reaction would be to dealing with "that world" for the first time.

Raidou righted himself and nodded. "You've guessed correctly, but the Herald wasn't the one who sent me to gather this information."

Again Satake seemed to guard himself suddenly, as if preparing for the boy to whip out a demon and slay him right where he sat. "And just who did?"

"A direct superior." That was all he would say about it. He nodded his thanks, turning and leaving the bathing room, heading towards the lockers. There he met a very anxious Gouto.

The cat stared at him, looking a mix of angered and worried. "You got into a fist fight with two Yakuza members." He stated flatly. Had he seen? Or maybe he heard the large fellow screaming about his nose being broken. "They engaged first," the boy replied, calm as always, and fished his clothing out of the locker.

Gouto pattered after him, still looking utterly shocked about the whole situation. "And Satake gave you the info you needed?"

"For the most part." came the answer, the summoner starting to dress quietly.

"And the verdict is?" The feline prodded, wanting to know what the boy found out.

The boy paused a moment midway to buttoning his shirt, looking thoughtful. It passed quickly and he was back to dressing again. "Narumi-san gets his supplies from one of Satake-sans men."

"I knew it!" The cat hissed, ears flattening against his skull. "So that's what the phone call was after all!"

"Gouto... these aren't bad people. The Yakuza may be gangsters but they are a highly respected group in society." So Raidou knew his history well. Yes, it was true. Yakuza were hardened thugs but they had honor and had even been known to help out during disaster. This had even been noted during the great Earthquake of Taisho 19 that ended that era.

Still, Gouto was not quite convinced. "That does not change the fact that he is illegally obtaining drugs, narcotics even, from unauthorized dealers." The cat yowled, tail swaying in the air. "It's for medical reasons. And since when have legalities been such a concern to you?" Finished dressing, Raidou began walking out of the bath house, feline in tow as he walked back towards the bus stop. The boy had a point; it wasn't like the Yatagarasu acted within the laws of society either, just those of the clans. "Then if anything, where are you heading now that you've gained this information? Back to the station?"

"I'm going to see Narumi-san."

Gouto thought to ask why, but he already knew the answer. "Going to confront him about what you found out, eh?"

"I'm going to ask him to finish the story." Not the expected response. Not at all. Raidou walked quickly through the streets, pulling out his bus fare from his wallet as he went.

"Even after everything you've heard, you're still giving him the benefit of the doubt?"

"I've yet to hear anything that would convict him."

"The drug purchases? The involvement with the Yakuza? Does that not worry you in the slightest?" Again Gouto was questioning his naivety.

"It doesn't prove any wrong doing. The Yakuza are honorable as far as criminals go. And the drugs are for medical purposes." Seems Gouto wasn't going to convince the kid otherwise. His mentor had to give him props for wanting to get all sides before coming to a conclusion. Any good detective would do the same, but he'd be lying if he said he hoped the conclusion was a good one. For all the head-butting he was doing with the kid on the subject, at this point it was apparent it was all out of concern. In spite of his own feelings for the older man, Gouto sincerely hoped the one person whom the boy had come to trust outside the clan didn't mean him any harm. It'd break the kid's heart and crush his morale...

"Let's get to it then, Jouhei."

"Yes."


	10. Chapter 10

The two exited the bus across the street from the Ginrou-kaku building not more than an hour later. Raidou made a bee-line for the place, not hesitating a moment. He wanted the full story, wanted to prove Narumi was innocent of all charges and a trustworthy human being. Gouto followed close behind, still concerned but allowing it. For whatever the outcome was, whether it be Narumi proving his guilt or at least reasonable suspicion and Raidou avoiding him, or having him cleared of all wrong-doing, he would hold to Raidou's decision as long as he was not in danger. He decided this, yet Gouto was still unsure whether or not he'd follow through. It all depended on how the conversation went.

It wasn't long before Raidou was knocking at Narumi's door. He took a deep breath to prepare himself for the conversation, for the outcome. He hoped whatever the detective would say, he would prove himself to be a good man like he knew he was... or at least hope he was. He poked his head in a moment later, calling for the man. "Narumi-san?"

A head poked out from the door parallel to him, Narumi blinking in surprise. "Oh! Raidou!" He scuttled from the inner hallway, a thermos of coffee in one hand, a mug in the other. "I thought you were the delivery guy." He approached him quickly, opening the door all the way and waving the boy inside. "I just made a fresh pot of joe. Want a cup?"

Raidou found himself involuntarily smiling in reaction to the man's usual hospitality. He nodded once, almost forgetting the reason he'd come in the first place. But as he was escorted to the dining table reality came back to him. He wasn't here to socialize. He was here to do a job. "Ah... Narumi-san..."

A cup of coffee was placed in front of him, Narumi moving to pour himself his own cup. "It's nice to see you in one piece and not bloodied up! So what brings you around? You staying off that leg?" The man continued his excited prattling, just giddy the boy had actually come to visit. Progress!

Again, he froze, unable to ask a simple question. Not with those eyes on him; kind brown eyes wide with joy looking only at him. He could feel his heart pounding completely out of his control. "Erm... I've been walking around a bit. That's all."

"Not too much, I hope." Narumi began preparing his cup. He could take it black, but this was a nice French blend. It took a bit more preparation to enjoy it properly. "You want to stick around for dinner? I ordered take-out. Chinese food."

All this was distracting him. He knew it was, but... "Sure." He smiled lightly, looking so cute just then, genuinely happy. "Sounds nice."

A certain feline pawed at his ankle, staring up at him. "Jouhei..." He knew what the cat was trying to say, he was getting off track, stalling. Raidou's eyes met the cats and he nodded once, smile replaced by a solemn look. "Narumi-san... I have to confess my visit isn't to socialize."

The man glanced his way, stirring some creamer into his mug. "Ah, something on your mind? I'm all ears if you want to talk." The tone in his voice... he was oddly optimistic, wasn't he?

And Raidou killed that right quick. "I was told you have information about a case. Something from seven years ago that you were lead investigator on." The silence that followed was almost crushingly tense, making Raidou wonder whether or not being so blunt had been to his benefit. Narumi froze in place, still facing away from the young man, spoon stilling in the cup before him.

Slowly he turned around to face the man, face grim. "Seven years ago, huh?" He muttered, taking a large gulp of his beverage, as if to prepare himself.

The summoner watched him, gauging his reaction. It worried him to see the man so distraught. But all this was hidden behind that beautiful stone face. "I'd like to know whatever you can tell me."

With a deep sigh, Narumi sunk heavily into the dining chair opposite of Raidou, hands clasping the mug as if it were a lifeline keeping him grounded. "You're talking about the serial killings, I take it." Raidou offered a nod, waiting for Narumi to speak patiently, folded hands resting in his lap. "It was a pretty high profile case. Seven high school students in seven weeks. Within days of them being reported missing, we'd find a body." He gripped the cup, as if the information physically pained him to recount. "I was appointed lead investigator when we found the first body... A boy about sixteen. He'd gone missing after leaving his part time job. His body turned up in a drainage ditch three days later." The boy sitting across from him seemed less than disturbed by the information. He was still staring at the man speaking, wanting to hear more.

Narumi took a swig of the hot beverage and continued, "But no matter what we did, nothing came up. Aside from their close ages and the fact they were out late, nothing connected them. It was like the perp cleaned up all the evidence before our guys got there... Not a trace left. So it kept going..." Narumi paused to burying his face in one hand, rubbing at his eyes as if fighting a headache. "Having to explain to seven families that the police weren't fast enough to find their kids... Having to do that was part of my job up until then, but knowing that I did next to nothing to prevent it all from happening..." So this was what tortured the man so. He had failed to rescue the kidnapped teenagers before their lives ended, and even to that day he blamed himself. "But... That's not the worst of it."

Raidou suddenly felt a pang of guilt for even asking. And yet he still wanted more. Either he was a cruel little bastard or he wanted to learn more to perhaps to help the man fight his own personal demons.

Finally Narumi met his gaze, those deep chocolate eyes seeming hollowed somehow, showing their age. "If you knew to come to me, I'm guessing you at least know some of the story... What's the official police record say of me now, eh?" Caught, but the boy had expected it. He was a seasoned and well trained detective with many years of experience. "Not much I could tell you, really. I went to speak with Waruo-san and detective Kazama interrupted. He told me he would tell me the information I needed. He didn't say much about it besides his own bias against you."

For the first time that evening the man laughed, but it was a cynical and bitter laugh, nothing like the sweet chuckles he usually made. It was almost saddening. "Kazama hates me since I got picked for promotion over him..." He snorted. "Well, I guess he gave you the skinny though, about how I lead the investigators in a different direction." The man looked forlornly down at his cup, as if wishing at that moment that it was something much stronger than coffee... perhaps scotch.

"He only told me that the main suspects were Yakuza members and that you lead them off the trail and cleared Satake-san's name. Satake-san confirms this." So the boy had been doing quite a bit of research today. Clever. Narumi could not help but grin, "You've done a lot of legwork just to check up on me, huh? Smart kid..."

The detective knocked back a good half of his coffee before continuing. "I know who did it. Or at least I have a very good idea of who did it. It wasn't Satake, it was another Yakuza group altogether."

"I see..." Raidou finally reached for his own drink, bringing it to his lips and sipping it lightly.

"The guy who did it paid off my investigation team." Plain, simple, and a brutal truth. This got the boys attention. His gaze met the detectives, eyes slightly widened, silently asking if this could be true. "I caught one of my head guys talking to him after the sixth body was found. And we're not talking small bills either... I don't know where he got the funds, but it was enough to keep five officers quiet, and for them to concoct a false lead." The rest of the coffee was downed, the mug slammed almost too hard onto the old table, enough to rattle Raidou's cup. "And what's worse? When I reported it to the chief, and the investigation started, they found nothing! Nada! So we were all dismissed form the case, and in the meantime the seventh kid died." As he spoke his voice rose in anger and despair, something Raidou had not seen in the man yet. It was almost frightening to see someone normally so composed and smooth completely beside himself like this. "Then they had the nerve to say I was trying to divert the case for my own gain, as if _I_ was the one to take the bribe!"

So that was it; the reason Narumi had left. It truly was corruption that drove him away, and in the worst ways. For trying to do the world some good, for attempting to bring the man who cut the lives of those seven kids short, Narumi was turned on and accused of being affiliated with the killer, or even the murderer himself.

"Narumi-san..." It frightened the kid, yes. He had never seen an inkling of anger in the detective before. But apart from that... he felt sadness, guilt. He was guilty for making Narumi relive such a thing in his mind. A sudden urge overcame him and he went for it before he could stop himself. His lean, delicate hand reached out and touched one of the detective's strong, broader hands. A simple gesture, foreign to the boy, but it felt right comforting Narumi like this. It took the older man by surprise as well, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he began to regain his composure, running his free hand through his hair. "After that, I left... Took my pension and drowned myself in booze and whores, got mixed up with some bad business... I spiraled for months until I finally hit bottom. Pathetic, really."

Narumi chuckled bitterly, "But then I realized something..." The cup was picked up again as if more coffee would magically appear, but he found none and sighed, "I wanted to help people, but I didn't want to deal with the politics and corruption at the station... So I took my pension and put in for this office."

After that statement Raidou finally pulled his hand away, almost sorry when he did, setting it back in his lap. He missed the warmth as soon as it was gone. But touching someone's hand so long was inappropriate. Instead of lingering on it he gave the detective his full attention, waiting to see what he would say next.

"I became a detective, and now I'm here." He motioned to the office around him, a somber smile on his face. "I might not make much, but I know at the end of the day I'm not like those cops that sway with the best interest of the station instead of the civilians... That make sense?"

A nod was offered in response, Raidou smiling ever so slightly. He seemed... elated. Narumi noticed right away and the barest hint of a genuine smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "As long as I can keep someone safe, then it's all worth it. Doesn't do my wallet any good... It's usually why the land-lady and I are at odds." A simple, nonchalant shrug followed, "But, if it means I can help people... Like those that would be in trouble otherwise... then it's worth it then."

So in a way, they were the same. The boy was happy to hear this. And this moment was suddenly cut off by a knock at the door, startling the two out of their thoughts. Both heads turned towards the door, a man coming through it moments later, carrying a couple plastic bags filled with what looked like Styrofoam containers. Desperate for anything to break the tension in the air, Narumi quickly leapt to the young man's aid in bringing in the food. "Oh, there you are, Kento-kun. You're late." Narumi took a large plastic bag, setting it on the table before reaching into his back pocket for his billfold to pay the delivery man. The boy, someone who looked not much older than Raidou grumbled in response, handing over the receipt and order. "Now now, with a face like that the cute ladies won't give you any tips!" But apparently Narumi still would, since "Kento" looked a little brighter upon leaving. Could this be another person Narumi had "helped" at one point?

The table was quickly covered in an array of foam containers and take-out boxes, a pair of chopsticks and a plate was presented to Raidou. "Eat up, the one with the red box is beef, but the rest is either chicken or veggie." Narumi pointed to each box respectively before sitting down to dig directly into one of the boxes with his chopsticks.

Raidou watched all this in mild confusion, still very unused to all these modern things, mostly that of food being delivered to one's home. But Narumi was a gracious host and dinner sounded nice after all that running around. The food smelled good enough as well. Only a little like fast food, nothing too bad. He took up his own set of chopsticks and waited politely for one of the boxes to be offered. "So... they bring ready-made dinner to your home..?" He just looked so confused.

Narumi glanced at him, one cheek puffing out from being over filled with beef. "Yeah." He said around the mouthful, "The restaurant sends a guy to deliver it, so you don't have to go out."

Those eyes continued to stare, still rather curious. "Oh..." Realizing he was less than likely to be offered anything anytime soon by his host he reached for the box of rice, getting started. "Is this a common thing?"

"In this day and age, yeah. Convenience stores sell whole meals, restaurants bring dining to you... You can buy just about anything from a vending machine." He prattled on, swallowing the packed meat down with a bit of effort. "Not something you're used to, I take it."

"Not at all..." he muttered, taking a bite of rice before grabbing a box of what looked to be chicken coated in a red sauce. Curious, he picked a piece out of the box with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. Odd. Sweet and a little tangy, a little heavy. Not bad. Obviously some kind of westernized dish rather than a traditional Asian meal. Still, not bad. He put some of that on his plate and went about looking through the other boxes, trying out what they had to offer. Some he liked, some he didn't, but all the flavors were interesting.

In the midst of the two of them chowing down, Narumi took a moment to set down his chopsticks and look at Raidou once again. "Hey, kid... Just why were you investigating that case from seven years ago?" Again he seemed guarded, hesitant. This case had sincerely affected him, didn't it?

Raidou paused with a bite of food halfway to his mouth. He slowly set it back on his plate and addressed the question properly. "I wasn't initially. It just came up when I was in the middle of an investigation ordered by a superior."

Narumi quirked a brow, the carton placed back on the table. "The Herald wanted me checked on?"

The boy shook his head softly, reaching for a carton of what looked to be noodles. "No, someone else." He wasn't about to name names. He didn't any accumulated hostility between man and feline.

Narumi sighed again, lounging heavily in his chair. "Makes me wonder what you hoped to find..." He muttered, finally getting up for more coffee. The look on his face, that expression... As much as he tried to mask it with that usually smarmy grin, he couldn't seem to hide the fact that he was troubled over the topic. Raidou's eyes followed the man as he went back for more of the drink, looking just a little concerned. Had he done something wrong in asking? "I expected to clear your name and prove you were a good man."

"Heh... Seems that's all I do these days." With more coffee in his mug, the man looked like he was beginning to relax. Caffeine addictions had that effect on people, it seemed. "I'm glad you did your homework and checked in on me, orders or no."

What a curious reaction. Raidou would have assumed he'd be upset with him, not pleased. "Why?"

And then the man was standing next to him, gazing down at him with those chocolate eyes and that warm smile. "I'd be worried if you trusted someone so easily in your line of work." The detective reached out and ruffled the boy's hair, a silent form of praise. Narumi was... proud of him? Even if he dug into something so painful from his past? The summoner stared up at him with confused eyes. But after a few moments the look melted into a tiny smile.

The hand was pulled away, Narumi rounding the table to continue his meal. "It's funny, actually... The reason I started this agency was to be able to help the people the police wouldn't... Or in some cases, couldn't go to the police." His eyes met with Raidou's once more, a sad smile in them. He didn't have to voice it to make it clear; Narumi wanted to help people like him, the ones that couldn't go to the cops for help. A strange feeling overcame the boy just then. He felt his face heat up, his head begin to quicken while he was under that gaze. What did this mean? "Narumi-san..."

"Anyway..." Narumi picked up his chopsticks again, a small smile on his face. "Any other questions?"

Just a little embarrassed Raidou shook his head, going back to his own meal. He couldn't help but think to himself as he watched him over the table that Narumi was an amazing man. Going through something like that and coming out on top. "...I really admire you." he said out loud before he realized what he was doing. But once he did he couldn't do much of anything about it. No use crying over spilt shows of emotion, so he just went with it.

Narumi looked like he might spit out his coffee at that, but managed to refrain, his cheeks tinged the slightest of pinks. "For what?" He choked out, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Because you're a strong, good man." That was all Raidou would say as he went back to his meal, eyes lowered as he politely partook.

The praise was a bit much for what he was used to, Narumi kind of wished he had one of his hats to hide behind. "Hey, don't go saying that. It'll go to my head and I'll start believing it!"

"You should."

"Don't stroke my ego, kid." Narumi smirked and it seemed that things were slowly going back to normal.

"What else should I do with it? You're too modest." the boy stated in response, slurping some noodles into his mouth.

The detective blinked in surprise. Did Raidou just... talk back to him, sort of? He almost did a happy jig; the kid _did_ have the capability to snark, who knew? "Well, I am the great Detective Narumi." He struck a pose, chopsticks and all, just for a laugh.

The boy snorted, almost losing his mouthful he was busy chewing. He clapped a hand over his mouth and forced himself to swallow, laughing a little afterwards. Mission accomplished, Narumi started laughing as well. Quite a sight to see, especially with Raidou. He hardly ever laughed, and to see it was a special treat.

The two eventually quieted down and went back to their meal. But once their utensils were set down the two got to talking again, this time about things that were a little less life-crippling. It was like things were back to normal and the two could just enjoy one another's company. Even Gouto said nothing as he lounged at Raidou's feet beneath the table. Between the two of them, they made a sizeable dent in the Chinese food smorgasbord. Narumi certainly had ordered a lot, probably to last him the next few days. The man seemed to be the king of take-out leftovers as far as anyone was concerned.

As the hours wore on, the conversation finally went full circle again, "Hey, Raidou... About earlier..." He began after finishing putting the numerous take-out containers into the fridge. "I'm sorry."

The boy had begun silently helping his host clean up even when it was not requested nor necessary. Raidou just felt it was the polite thing to do. Currently he'd been wetting a dishcloth in the kitchen sink to wipe down the dining table. But when the man spoke he turned his attentions towards him, shutting the water off. "Hm?" His eyes met Narumi's, curious as to what he meant.

Narumi placed the utensils into the dishwasher as he spoke, "For how I acted... It's... Not exactly a subject matter that I'm too great on handling. I'm usually not like that, so sorry if I scared you."

"I wasn't afraid, only concerned," Raidou explained, looking just a little sad though his blank stare. That earned him another look, "Concerned?" Narumi inquired, "Why?"

"The look in your eyes." Raidou wrung the cloth out, moving towards the hallway to go wipe down the table. But before he crossed the threshold he said one more thing. "You looked so sad..."

Sad, if that was even a way to put it. "Yeah, I guess you could say I was really sad about that case." Devastated, more like, but he wasn't about to jump in and say that. The case damn near ruined him mentally and physically, but... "It's in the past now. I'm doing fine where I am."

The boy listened to Narumi's words as he walked towards the dining area. He thoroughly wiped it down... and then moved to wipe the dusty desk beside it, straightening as he went.

"A-ah, Raidou-chan, you don't have to do that!" Narumi quickly crossed the room, pulling things out of Raidou's way as he wiped. Did the boy feel he had to make up for upsetting him? The boy was silent as he worked. After the desk he went to dusting the bookshelves, looking over all the different books Narumi had to read. He had some fascinating interests. "Raidou?" Narumi tried to catch his attention again, a little perturbed. "You should sit down if anything. Isn't your leg still messed up?"

"I'll be fine." he muttered, pulling the books out and cleaning under them one by one setting them in place before moving to the next.

The detective couldn't help but step back and stare in amazement. Obligation or no, it was nice to have the place actually cleaned for once. He couldn't even remember the last time he dusted. Narumi just hoped the boy wasn't doing it just to please him. "Raidou, you really don't have to do this." He reiterated, mostly just to sate his guilty conscious.

"I want to." And that was that. Raidou continued with his work, ignoring the detective's protests. Within the hour the whole office looked brand new, spotless top to bottom. Narumi almost couldn't believe it. The place damn near sparkled and all it took was Raidou taking the time to do it. Impressive didn't begin to cover it.

"Wow... I feel like I'm in the wrong office."

Raidou smiled at the praise, taking the bucket and rag he'd used to clean the hardwood with to the back. Narumi didn't know where he'd found it, hell he didn't even know he had all these cleaning supplies around the apartment, but he was sure grateful it had been cleaned. A dusty dump of an office was no place to conduct any hard-boiled detective work. "Thanks, Raidou." Narumi followed after the boy with a goofy grin on the face. "I really appreciate you doing this." Even if he told him he didn't have to, he reiterated to himself, again for his guilty conscious.

"I enjoyed it," he replied, dumping the dirty water out in the sink. It was almost as if he could read the man's very thoughts, sensed his guilt over having an injured minor cleaning his floor. But then he explained. "I used to do chores in my village when I had breaks from training. I cleaned the dojo floors and took care of the equipment. I'd often be called on to cook for my under-classmen and was made to mend any clothing I damaged or replace any weapon I broke. It was good training and taught discipline, but..." There is was again, the faintest ghost of a smile. "I've always found pleasure in preforming tasks like that. It's calming and a good way to bring yourself into a peaceful state of mind." He turned to Narumi finally, aiming that barely there smile at him. The way he'd said all that, speaking of discipline and finding pleasure in working... This boy was painfully traditional.

That irresistible smile made Narumi's heart flutter. But the words he said, the kid really was sheltered. To take joy in cleaning and cooking and other such menial tasks; it was something you'd see in a romance novel based out of the Meiji Era. Very out of place for a boy his age. "Raidou, if you were a girl, so many men would want your hand in marriage with that sort of thinking."

The smile was instantly replaced with a look of confusion and a touch if detest. "Huh?" Poor boy looked so weirded out by the concept. He really didn't understand. Did that mean his kind of thinking was wrong?

Narumi quickly sought to correct himself, "N-not that it's a bad thing... You're just very traditional! A lot of guys prefer that over the modern woman's way of thinking." Spazz, flail, blush. The detective had managed to back himself in a corner again and he was admitting way too much about himself to the boy.

"Is... that so...?" The boy looked slightly less miffed but still a little confused. Narumi wasn't getting anywhere like this. But just when he thought the air would crack from the tense feeling within, Raidou turned and went about washing the bucket out, getting back to his work.

The small clock nested at one end of the kitchen rung the hour, drawing both their attentions. It was midnight already? They had spent all that time chatting and then Raidou took the chance to clean. "Huh..." Gouto, whom had made himself scarce for a good chunk of the evening, finally spoke. "The last train back to Ginza leaves in ten minutes..."

Raidou frowned a bit, looking just a little displeased. "I'm not finished..." He muttered, setting the bucket aside on the floor. "I won't make it unless I run."

And then, Narumi got an idea. A brilliant if not a bit risky idea. "Why don't you just stay here tonight? I can take you home tomorrow." The offer came out before he had a chance to think of what the boy would say to it. Oh well, even if he rejected him he'd save face somehow.

But Raidou was open to the idea, surprisingly enough. Very open to it. He offered a kind smile to the man, even going so far as to ask if it was really okay. He really was a sweet kid.

"Of course it's okay! It wouldn't be the first time, right?" Narumi winked, relieved the boy didn't think him some sort of predator. After learning all the negative things about his past, he was sure the boy would shy away like he always did. "You can take the couch, if you'd like, or I have a spare futon we can set up in my room..."

"Anything that's convenient. I don't want to trouble you."

"It's your choice, Raidou." Again with this, forcing the boy to decide himself what he wanted.

"I don't mind either way. The couch is comfortable enough." And as always, Raidou was smartly countering with his quick wit by pushing the decision off his own shoulders. Did this kid take responsibility for nothing for his own benefit?

Just to counter that, Narumi puffed his chest out, hands on his hips. "Futon it is. I'll grab it out of storage." The man turned on heel and headed for the store-room, which was looking emptier and emptier these days. Narumi had finally gotten around to cleaning it up, or rather clearing it out. A lot of stuff was getting sold off or donated to the local shelters. No one had a need for some of it, but one man's trash was another's treasure, and his paycheck. "Do you remember where my old clothes were? You can borrow some to sleep in."

Please and perturbed both, Raidou followed close behind, parting ways halfway down the hall to gather the familiar clothing. "Yes. Thank you, Narumi-san." he spoke in passing, opening the hall closet and pulling one plastic tub and rummaging through it.

By the time Narumi was dragging the old futon into the bedroom Raidou was sitting patiently on his bed, changed into some grey sweatpants and a plaid fleece shirt that was a couple sizes too big on him. And damned if he didn't look cute like that. Having the detectives old clothing on made him look so small, truly adorable. But still that damn hat was in place. Did he ever take it off?

"Ah, Raidou, can you get the blankets out of my closet there?" The older man's head nodded in the direction of his double door closet as he dumped the large mat onto the floor next to his bed. He could of course offer to share his own bed with the boy, but something told him that would not fly well... especially with that cat that seemed far too territorial of the boy. What was up with that?

Raidou obeyed quickly, gathering the blankets folded neatly atop one of the shelves inside the closet and brought them to the man. After that he busied himself by making the bed up, sitting beside it with legs tucked under him as he worked. It really was fascinating watching the boy work. Everything he did was like Narumi was getting a taste of the old days, of the long forgotten historical periods of Japan. Hell, it was sometimes almost as if the kid had time traveled from the Sengoku period itself and was being made to live in the 21st century with no promise to return to his own time. Odd when you thought of it that way. Very peculiar, this boys habits.

"I'm tempted to hire you as a housekeeper, Raidou." Narumi joked if only to squelch the protruding thought of how strange this boy was in his mind. He had never seen any kid his age act quite like this, so obedient and polite while taking so much joy in the menial tasks. Narumi couldn't help but wonder if he was so keen on doing the chores for the joy of a job well done, or just to get some recognition from someone once it was complete.

_Well, a little recognition wouldn't hurt._ "Thanks for the help, kid." He squeezed Raidou's shoulders, a slight smile on his face. "Just don't overdo it, yeah?"

The little smile on the boy's face at the praise was absolutely beautiful, if not a little awkward. Raidou wasn't very good at expressing himself. But when he tried, it sure was cute. Once again Narumi felt his heart skip a beat, but he quickly quelled the sensation by focusing on readying for bed himself. "I'll get the lamp, you get some sleep, okay?" The man called from the closet, pulling out some pajamas from the drawers hidden inside.

"Yes." Raidou pulled back the covers and got settled in on the futon, hat still atop his head. At this point Narumi wasn't even going to try and question it. The kid had some weird quirks. _Better than a pacifier, I suppose._ Narumi shrugged off the oddity and took his clothes with him to the bathroom to get washed up. A certain cat meowed as he scurried past, bounding into his bedroom where Raidou lay.

Gouto situated himself at the end of the futon facing Raidou, green eyes boring into him. "Well, what's your conclusion?"

The summoner opened his eyes, glancing quickly towards the door before answering. "I think I've proven his trustworthiness."

"Hm..." Gouto padded over to him only to make himself a spot on the blankets next to him. "I still don't like him, but at least he comes back clean... Just don't get too comfortable, Jouhei."

To that Raidou slowly reached up to grip the rim of his cap, tipping it upwards and sticking two fingers inside. A moment later they pulled back, bringing with them a thin, long metal shaft. Perfect lips turned up into the tiniest of smirks as he revealed to Gouto that all along he'd been carrying with him his newest and most powerful demon, Orthrus. So he wasn't as naive as he seemed. Gouto couldn't help but crack a smile of his own. "Good work today, Jouhei. Now get some rest."

"Mn..." The cap was set aside and the tube was tucked under his pillow. Just in case. Raidou always liked to be prepared. He fell asleep easily even before Narumi returned, tuckered out from the long day and his still healing leg.

A few moments later Narumi stepped into the room dressed in a white tank-top and boxers, a towel draped around his neck with his hair still slightly damp. "Raidou, do you need any more pain killers?" He called to the boy, only to find him sound asleep on the futon. That was quick, Narumi thought, but then again he did walk around all day, and cleaned...

The man carefully tip-toed through the room to his own bed, finishing the towel-drying of his hair before tossing the damp cloth into the laundry hamper. With a flick of a switch the lights were out and Narumi climbed into his own bed, scoot to one side so he could keep an eye on the boy. Why? He couldn't tell you, but even his brain caught on that he wanted to watch the boy sleep.

He didn't care how bizarre that was, he was just glad to have some company on quiet nights like this.


	11. Chapter 11

Just after dawn Narumi was woken by sounds coming from the kitchen. On further inspection the futon was folded with the pillow and blankets neatly on top of it. Narumi groaned and hoisted himself up, scratching at his bed-hair as his brain tried to collect what was going on. The absence of Raidou with the bed all neatly put away helped his deduction greatly.

A quick glance at his alarm clock told him it was sometime before seven, with the sun just barely over the horizon. The detective grumbled about how the agency didn't open until ten (or in most cases, whenever Narumi was ready and willing to face the world) before shuffling out the door and towards the kitchen.

The smell of grilling fish and coffee hit his nostrils, instantly perking him up. But what really woke him was the sight of Raidou, still wearing the borrowed pajamas, now with the addition of Narumi's "Kiss the Cook" apron, standing over the stove preparing what looked to be a traditional breakfast.

"...How long have you been up?" Was the first question out his mouth, though the first one in his head was why he was wearing his apron, but he realized a second later he didn't really mind. It was kind of cute on him.

"About an hour," the boy replied without turning to greet him. This kind of food preparation was a delicate process and he was not to be distracted from it. There was also miso cooking in one pot and rice in another. Kid was aiming for the full spread. And by the looks of it, he'd been to the store to get all this. Narumi sure as hell didn't have anything like this in his fridge.

Narumi blinked, mumbling something about "the morning after" before stumbling off to the bathroom to clean up before breakfast. The boy watched him go from the corner of his eye, a little curious as to what that was all about. But he couldn't be bothered to ask.

By the time the detective returned the table was set and breakfast was served, the very traditional meal laid out awkwardly on the very modern dining wear. Still, it looked very nice. And coffee was involved. That made it automatically better by a hundred-fold.

Narumi stepped out with his face washed and his hair done, dressed in an indigo button-up with a white tie, a white casual vest, and a pair of black slacks. All that was missing from the ensemble was the white fedora currently perched on the rack near the door. "Did you make all this, Raidou?" He asked as he scanned the contents of the table. Impressive, really. The kid _had_ to be up longer than the hour he admitted.

The man was met with a small smile, Raidou looking very pleased with himself by the looks of it. He nodded once in response, standing behind his own chair, waiting for Narumi to sit first.

The detective plopped into his own seat and continued to stare at the contents of the table. When was the last time he had a homemade meal like this? "Jeez... It's like I'm back home..." Narumi mused, glancing to the boy across from him. "You weren't kidding about liking cooking, huh?"

Finally Raidou took his seat, nodding in reply. He took up his pair of chopsticks and held his hands up together, palms flat as though he was saying 'grace'. "Itadakimasu..." After that he dug in, starting with the fish.

The two ate in a comfortable silence, Narumi waiting for the effects of the coffee to kick in lest he say exactly what was on his mind at that moment. Namely how adorable Raidou looked in an apron. With the caffeine flowing through his veins, he finally felt conscious enough to speak. "Last time I got breakfast made for me was after that clingy one night stand I had a couple months back..." Okay, so perhaps the caffeine hadn't taken affect quite yet.

Raidou stopped mid-chew, eyes turning upwards from his food and towards the sleep deprived man. He stared at him with confusion in his gaze. What was he on about?

"Ah... Ehn... Nevermind." Narumi quickly shoveled into his food, face lightly pink. No more talking until more coffee, he decided.

"Narumi-san?" came the curious boys voice. He wasn't escaping that easily

The man decided to grab for more fish as a distraction, "Did you always cook this big a meal back home?

"What's a one night stand?" Yup, not getting off that easy.

Narumi felt like he had to explain where babies come from to a very sheltered five year old. He sighed, face falling into his palms. "It's when you have sex with someone without intending on having a relationship with them for one night, then they leave the next morning and you never speak of it again." There, quick and painless, like ripping off a band-aid.

"Oh..." And back to his food he went, looking a little more blank that usual. What was going on in that mind of his? Was he amused? Disgusted? Embarrassed?

The silence dragged on and there were only so many fish on that plate. Narumi became increasingly fidgety at the boy's lack of response. "...Raidou?"

Raidou looked back up at the man, a bit of food still in his mouth. He stared over at the detective, slowly chewing and swallowing the mouthful as he waited for a response.

"I'm not calling you a one night stand or anything."

"I know." He couldn't be, right? That required sex first.

Narumi nodded, "Good, just clarifying. Pass the coffee?"

Instead of passing it Raidou silently got to his feet and moved to Narumi's side, grabbing the pot as he went. He pulled the man's cup closer and poured his coffee for him, even adding the small amount of coffee creamer he liked in it. Setting the significantly lighter pot back on the table he carefully slid the cup of steaming liquid in front of Narumi before going to sit back down. This kid... If the detective didn't know any better he'd say he'd gained a housewife somewhere along the way from last night to this morning.

The comment about clingy one night stands was brought to the forefront of his psyche until he squelched it down again. "So... Do you want me to take you to school or back to your apartment after this?" Narumi asked quietly, sipping at his hot coffee. It was perfectly mixed with the right amount of creamer... Damn this kid was good.

"I'll go home after this is cleaned up. I need to check in." Meaning he wasn't going to school today, but to the shrine. The Herald would want to hear of his progress and give him any orders she saw fit.

The kid worked hard, he liked that. "Do you want me to drop you at the shrine, then?"

As much as the offer made him smile, he politely refused. "I need to keep up on my leg. If I don't push it just a little then I won't be of any use when another mission comes my way." He had a point, but still... Narumi took another sip of coffee before setting it down, watching the boy as he ate. "Don't push yourself too hard. Take it easy while you can, got it?"

Always so concerned for him. It was really kind of... nice. "I promise I will." he replied, glancing up at the detective, their eyes meeting. "Doctor's orders..."

"Damn straight!" Narumi held up his cup in agreeance before taking another sip. Mid-chug his cell-phone buzzed in the desk drawer, causing him to almost choke on the hot liquid. "Shit... I better get that..." He stood, hurrying over to his oak desk and yanking open the drawer, accepting the call before it could ring too many times.

Meanwhile Gouto was having a little chat with his charge, which all seemed like meows to the detective. But by the intent way the boy was staring at him, Narumi could see he and the feline were having a pretty in depth conversation.

"The Herald will want a report on your progress, Jouhei." Gouto stated, pulling out a small notebook from his collar. How he managed to hide it in there even Raidou wasn't privy to, but it contained centuries' worth of information on demons and knowledge collected from his ancestors. The cat grabbed the attached pen and began looking over notes. Finishing his breakfast Raidou began to clean up, leaving the detectives half eaten food alone so he could finish it in peace. "Yes. We'll leave right after this."

"How many demons do you have now?" Gouto took the pen out of his mouth long enough to ask the question. No matter how long he had done this, he never quite mastered writing without opposable thumbs.

"Three." Raidou gathered his dishes, heading back to the kitchen to wash them. Dishwasher be damned, he was an old fashioned boy. He dumped them in the sink, rolled up his sleeves and got to scrubbing them himself. Gouto jotted this information down, "You should consider getting more. A full arsenal is key to survival in the Dark Realm."

"I understand. I'll capture more when I enter the Dark Realm next," he promised, scrubbing at the plates with water steaming. He looked peaceful this way, placid, thoughtful. He stared off at nothing as he cleaned, taking each dish and drying it thoroughly after it had been washed and it aside to put away.

Just as Raidou finished his work, Narumi returned, looking frazzled and annoyed. "Damn it... Of all the times for Tawara-ya to call my tab..." His shoulders slumped, Narumi sulked into the kitchen to help with the cleaning. "And just when I had a little extra under my belt too..."

The boys gaze was on the disgruntled detective in moments, looking just a little concerned, eye questioning. Narumi simply shook his head, "Well, time to pay my dues..." He begrudgingly headed for the door, rummaging in his pocket for his keys. "Can you lock up when you're done? I might not be back until late." Depending on whether he'd be working to pay off the rather steep amount that day.

"Yes..." The boy smiled lightly and went back to doing the dishes, handing Narumi a wet dish to dry. "Should I do anything else before I go?" Meaning in terms of chores.

"Ehn... None that I can think of..." The frazzled detective quickly toweled off the dish and set it away. "Just take it easy, okay? If not for yourself, for me, got it?" He gave the boy a wink, plucking another dish from the file.

Raidou couldn't help but smile. He still wanted him off his leg that badly? "I'm doing better now. The few days of rest have helped," even if he'd barely rested at all. The kid was a crap liar.

The detective didn't believe him for a minute. The boy was like an open book when it came to that. "Right... Well, if you could lock up before you leave, I'll be off." The dish towel was set aside and Narumi grabbed his hat from the counter. "Don't go overdoing it, got it?"

Lie caught onto yet still not deterred, Raidou offered a nod in response and finished up the dishes, drying them and setting them back in their correct places. "I promise..." he muttered as he want, eying the man from the corners of grey-blue orbs.

The detective's heavy steps and the click of the old door handle signaled his departure, Raidou left alone in the apartment with his mentor, whom was eying the boy himself. "Finish quickly so we may leave for Shinoda, Jouhei." The cat quipped. It seemed that even though Raidou had gone through the trouble of clearing Narumi's name, the cat was still standoffish about the boy being so near him. Why was that? It made the summoner wonder, but he thought better than to question the feline. Instead he did as he was told. He hurried with the chores at hand; cleaning the kitchen and table until they were spotless, and then gathered his things to leave. But even as he himself left through that oak and glass door he seemed just a little sad.

"If you're able to..." Gouto trotted behind his charge, in higher spirits now that they were outside. "We should do some training in the Dark Realm and collect more demons. Increase your artillery." More demons meant less a chance the boy would be critically injured again, and less a chance that he'd wind up bleeding out on Narumi's couch again.

"Yes." The boy agreed, even if the detective had told him to rest. He wanted to obey him, wanted to, really. But he had obligations. It was what made him go towards the bus station after he'd locked up and headed off, what made him take the next bus to Shinoda. Because he knew he couldn't rely on the man forever.

The days passed quickly as the two returned to their ordinary routines, with the added exception of each other's presence. Raidou recovered enough that he could return to his normal school schedule, even kendo, which Narumi thought to stop in on a few times. But explaining to any supervising party why a thirty-something man was asking to watch a high school boy's kendo club practice was far too suspect for the detective to be comfortable with explaining away. He'd have to settle for taking Raidou's word on his achievements, and visits to his apartment when he could catch the boy home and not on patrol.

On the other end was Narumi, who was far too used to having his only regular visitor a talkative up-and-coming reporter. Tae was a good friend, yes, but Narumi found he preferred the quiet days of web browsing to her near constant chatter. Raidou on the other hand was quiet and often visited just to offer his services as a houseboy. Narumi wasn't all that comfortable, but it seemed to please the boy enough to be of some use to the man. Fair enough; the office tended to get dusty with how old it was, and Narumi couldn't argue with the occasional home-cooked meal.

One could muse that their routines developed a more permanent insert from the other party, though the visits were anything but regular. With both their respective occupations, it was difficult to catch each other on an off day. Narumi would often be out on cases, doing research and legwork to get the information he needed, and Raidou was almost always running around under orders from the Yatagarasu. Between Narumi's cases and Raidou's patrol duties, they'd go days without seeing or hearing from the other. It worried Narumi to have the boy drop off the face of the planet for days at a time, but it couldn't be helped. The boy lacked a mobile phone, so he could only leave messages on his machine and hope the boy would get it within the next few days.

But there was one thing Narumi could be thankful for, and that was the fact that the boy had not come to him injured in those weeks that passed. He figured he was getting more cautious, and perhaps had gotten over his previous misconceptions that dying for his boss was a good and honorable option.

_Fat chance of that..._ Narumi thought bitterly as he cradled his purchases close to his side. A sack of groceries, and more properly wrapped box were clutched against his chest as he made his way from the busy city streets down to the subway platform. It had been three weeks since his tab had been called and he had been pinching coins since. But with his recent onslaught of cases brought on by the start of Golden Week he had been able to make ends meet, and with his own self-inflicted budget cutbacks, he had been able to afford little extras... One of which was packaged perfectly in his arms. A gift, and he couldn't stop grinning because of it.

The grin dissipated slightly when he had to squish onto the afternoon throng that was the train heading for Ginza. Golden Week or no, the train was still packed with businessmen and students alike, especially those that were attending cram lessons of some sort. Narumi wondered if Raidou was doing those, and perhaps that's why he was missing in action as of late. _How long has it been? Five days? It was before the start of Golden Week..._

Narumi continued to ponder as he kept his belongings close with one hand and the other gripping the handrail above him. The crowd continued to push further towards the back of the car, taking him along with it as new passengers boarded the train. Narumi prayed that no one would knock his packages, or worse, his favorite pin-striped fedora, because he'd have to let go of one of two things that were vital to him at that moment; the gift and the handrail keeping him from catapulting into the crowd.

But finally after many a stop, the crowds began to dissipate. As the slew of businessmen and kids alike filed out of the car a voice called out to him, one that seemed to be just fighting off the veil of sleep. "Narumi-san?" Just a few seats down sat a very familiar boy in black with a cap on his head, cat in tow.

The detective glanced over his shoulder, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the boy he had just been on his way to see. "Hey, kid! Long time, no see!" Narumi carefully made his way down the aisle of the subway, grabbing the handrail next to the young man, an almost stupid grin on his face. "How are things?"

Seeing the man's plight at carrying the bags and trying to make his way over, Raidou instantly stood from his seat, silently offering while gently scooping the bag from Narumi's arms. As usual, he was being dutiful to a fault, and respectful of his elders. Narumi thanked him with a nod, still smiling. "Heh, sorry, I've been doing the train instead of driving to cut back."

The boy blinked curiously, stepping a little closer to grip the handrail above him, bag of groceries in his other arm. "Cutting back?"

The seat remained ignored as Narumi explained, shrugging. "Well I paid off my tab, finally, and I was saving up for something... Gas is pricey anyhow."

"I see," Raidou smiled up at him gently, something he seemed to be doing more often around him lately. "Ah, Narumi-san, aren't you going to sit?"

Narumi blinked, glancing to the seat Raidou had apparently given up for him. "Hey now, I'm not _that_ old." He chuckled, bumping the boy's side with his elbow. "It's still polite..." the boy muttered, laughing lightly at the jab to the side, his body shying away from it playfully. Narumi winked playfully, "Well, as long as you understand, kid."

The train announced the upcoming stop in Ginza that Raidou normally let off at and the two prepared to depart. As the train slowed, Narumi glanced over to the boy, noting how tired he appeared. "Did you stay up all night or something? You look beat." The summoner stayed close by, still carrying the bag in his arms. He shook his head softly at the question, though he did look more than a little tired. He looked ready to turn in for the night when it was only just after one in the afternoon. "I've been working hard is all."

The detective toyed with a strand of hair as they walked, slightly concerned. "You're taking care of yourself, right? Not working too hard?" The usual concern, the slight frown on his face. It seemed after only a short time he knew the boy well. But of course Raidou denied it, saying he was taking perfectly good care of himself, eating right and sleeping enough. Narumi also knew it was a lie, and a bad one. This kid's face was too innocent, eyes far too expressive. That, and the circles under those large blue-grey orbs told it all.

Sighing, Narumi let it slide. The boy was old enough to take care of himself, or so he desperately tried to exude to the detective. That wouldn't stop his worrying, even if he did put his concerns on the back-burner for the time being. "Are you hungry?" Narumi motioned to the bag of groceries in his hand, smirking. "I was actually coming over to make dinner."

Regardless of his stance on his own personal wellbeing, Raidou was not one to turn down the chance at having a home-cooked meal, or time with his favored detective. Those perfectly glossy lips turned up into a shy smile. That's all Narumi really needed to see; "All right, let's head back to your place. I've got stuff to make udon."

The light patter of mid-day rain clattered against the window that ran along the entire length of Raidou's apartment. A spring rain was rolling in, typical for that time of year. From the look of the clouds it was going to remain a mild shower, nothing like the torrential rains of the monsoon seasons to come, like the day they first met.

A pot of hot water sat on the hot pad, percolating a rolling boil in which udon noodles floated. Off to the side was a tray of thinly sliced and marinated beef, waiting to be mixed with other half its entrée once it was finished simmering in the skillet. Narumi leaned against the counter, occupying the time needed to complete the cooking process by chatting with the summoner who sat nearby at the table. "So you're pretty much working for Golden Week?" The man inquired, idly stirring the boiling noodles.

Raidou was busying himself mending the jacket of his school uniform as they spoke, having gotten the sleeve caught on something during a chase just the other day. It wasn't until now that he was able to take the time to do the repairs. He smiled lightly at the older man, carefully drawing the needle through the damaged fabric and pulling the thread taut as they spoke. "I've been working, yes. I was assigned on a possession case. It was only recently that I was able to complete that mission."

"Possession case?" That sound particularly nasty. Narumi's head filled with horrific images of pale young girls with their heads twisted backwards, speaking in another voice and vomiting everywhere as the walls bled. "...How did that turn out?"

"The boy is safe. I was able to coax the demon out and capture it." Too easy, or so Raidou made it seem. He never really informed the man on the gritty details of his cases. He had to see that first hand to get anything more than what a soldier would brief a superior on. Fortunately, it seemed nothing so grim as what he had witnessed in the past had occurred since the boy had been away. For that, Narumi was glad. "It's good it went smoothly then. You haven't gotten injured at all, right?"

"Not really." Meaning he had, but nothing bad enough to merit his makeshift doctor's care. At least there was that. As long as Raidou wasn't bleeding out or risking losing a limb, things would be fine in the end.

He hoped.

Narumi plucked a noodle from the pot and tested the consistency. Satisfied with their firmness, he turned off the hot pad and set the pot in the sink, placing the skillet where it had been. "I kind of miss hearing from you, you know. You should call more often."

"I'm not home all that often..." The boy muttered, going back to his work. Almost done; It didn't look perfect, but at least he wouldn't get in trouble at school for having a ripped sleeve. As the boy looked up from his inspection, a wrapped box was offered to him, one he recognized as the parcel Narumi was cradling on the train. Somewhat startled, a little confused, Raidou's eyes flitted back and forth once or twice between the package and the man's caramel colored eyes before resting on them in a mutual gaze. He was unsure of what to do, how to react. Had Narumi bought something for him? His heart fluttered thinking about it.

Finally the detective broke the silence; "It's a gift. Open it."

The mending work was slowly put to the side, instantly forgotten as the boy reached for the small package. A gift he said. Raidou felt his heart skip a beat as he took the box and began unwrapping the tissue paper around it. Just beneath the wrapping was a box with a dark blue, flip-style mobile phone printed on the front. He had seen many of his classmates carrying these around campus. "Do you think it'd be easier to call if you had your own phone?" Narumi asked, sounding far too pleased with himself.

The boy just stared, dumbfounded. He got him a cell phone? But, something like this was very expensive, wasn't it? He didn't know how to feel about it other than deeply flattered. "...Narumi-san..."

"It'd be easier to get in contact with me if you need something if you have one of these, right?" Narumi winked, tapping the top of the box with his index finger. "Don't worry about the bill. I got a good deal as an added line."

"It's still expensive, isn't it?" He asked cautiously, eyes finally meeting the detectives once again in a concerned gaze. Always worried about making trouble for him. This kid was too kind. Narumi quickly waved his concern away. "Don't worry about that." He chided, "It's not that much, and I picked up some extra cases after paying off Tawara-ya... And I'd like to hear from you more, make sure you're doing all right." Among other reasons, of course.

Raidou left it at that, setting his attentions back to the package now sitting in his lap. He carefully opened it, unwrapping everything until he had a phone, battery, back cover and charger on the table before him. Once he was done setting the wrappings to the side he looked to the older man for guidance.

By then Narumi had finished with the strips of beef and had prepared a meal of niku udon for them both. Setting the bowls down, he proceeded to explain the near foreign device to the boy. "Power it up, and I'll show you how to use the address book. I'll put mine and Tae's number in there for you."

"Erm..." The boy slowly held up the device, sans battery or back, offering an innocent gaze just asking for help. "...How?"

Narumi narrowly avoided the urge to smack his palm to his face. "...Let's start from square one, and go from there... deal?"

"Sure." Raidou replied with a nod, grateful Narumi was taking the time to teach him about the new device he'd bought for him. Oh, if only he knew his phone was as basic as they come. A two year old from this day and age could learn it in minutes. But no, he was embarrassed enough. Surely Narumi thought he was deficient.

Yet as frustrating as it could be, within the hour Narumi had taught Raidou the basics of his new phone, guiding his hand with his own, showing him how to find people in his address book and take photos, even down to a bit of texting using the number pad. When one likened it to a computer, it wasn't terribly difficult to master. He did set up the speed dials though, just in case. "There, do you think you got it?"

Raidou was more than thankful for the man's patience, as well as the meal he'd prepared for them both. This man really was too good to be true. He didn't understand it, but it made him smile knowing he was being taken care of even when he knew he could make his own way. "Yes. Thank you for helping me. It's a wonderful gift."

Narumi shot him a wink and pat him on the shoulder, "Anytime, and my offer still stands, Raidou. If you need anything, just call me, and I'll come running." That is what he promised both the boy and himself. Raidou needed someone to rely on in this dangerous city, especially with his lifestyle and pension for danger. And who better for him to look to than a man who had lived that dangerous life before?

But then, quite unexpectedly, something happened. They were so close anyway, it was a wonder how he hadn't noticed. Raidou slowly leaned over and rested against the man, head on his shoulder. What was this about? Was this... Raidou showing affection? His face was blank, eyes forward and a little droopy. Tired, or something else? The action itself took him by surprise, and Narumi found that he wasn't sure where to look, or put his hands. So instead he rested his hand on the boy's back, patting softly. "Sleepy, kiddo?" He asked quietly, his heartbeat a little faster than he'd like.

"No..." Raidou muttered, though if it was truth or not remained to be seen. But there was something else there; the man could sense it. Raidou had the faintest of smiles on his lips, barely noticeable but it was there. So this was him happy.

The two sat for a long while, just enjoying each other's company. Narumi thought to say something, to voice some of the thoughts that had been circling his head over the past few weeks. But nothing seemed right to say, and it seemed that any words to break the comfortable silence that filled the room would ruin the moment all together. So Narumi remained quiet, that hand rubbing gentle circles across the boy's back, allowing the boy to lean on him as he so pleased.

Narumi jumped when the sound of a cat yowling cut into his thoughts, his head whipping towards the window. Gouto, and he did not look pleased. He was arched, tail in the air, ears back against his head.

Raidou's head slowly raised from its resting spot on Narumi's shoulder, eyes towards the window. "Gouto..." He was much more placid about the cat's anger than Narumi was. The older man simply glowered at the feline, wondering what his issue was. "Jeez... That thing hates me after all, doesn't he?" He remarked, noting the cat's gaze right at him. Raidou slowly got to his feet, remaining silent as he made his way to the window and opened it, letting the cat in.

Gouto stared right at Raidou, hissing irritably, and from the boy's subtle wince, he was giving him an earful. Narumi wished he could understand what the feline was saying, and just why he was upset at the boy this time. After what could only be a good tongue lashing, Raidou silently shut the window and went to gather up his previously forgotten mending work. He sat opposite the detective across the table now, head lowered, eyes on his work.

Gouto nestled himself on the table, warily eyeing the detective as he finished his meal... and observed the summoner. "So... What did he say?"

It was a long moment before the boy would speak, finally finishing the repair on his jacket. He tied off the thread, clipping it with a small set of scissors and set the tools aside on the table. "He said I was being inappropriate."

"Huh?" Inappropriate? Was it because he was leaning against him like... Narumi played with a lock of hair, nervously glancing away. "I guess to some that could be seen as inappropriate... Did you tell him you were just resting?"

He nodded slowly, getting to his feet to get a hanger for his jacket, taking it with him. More and more Narumi was getting the feeling that he had worn out his welcome, especially with Raidou suddenly growing silent, and his mentor leering at him as if he had committed some sort of crime against humanity.

Narumi glanced at his watch, then rose to his feet. "I guess I should get back to the Agency..." He muttered, though he really didn't want to leave. And by the look on Raidou's face when he mentioned it, the boy didn't want him to leave either. But he didn't voice this, no, it was as if he knew he'd be in trouble if he did. So he simply nodded, slipping a hanger into his jacket and putting the garment in its respective place until later use.

A hand grasped his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before the older man came into view, giving him a slight, if not forced smile. "Call me anytime, got it?" He whispered into Raidou's ear, breath ghosting the nape of his neck. Raidou almost couldn't fight the shiver that ran down his spine, that warm breath gliding over his senses, the tiniest of gasps pushing past his lips. But he recovered well, swallowing thickly as their eyes met. A small nod was given in affirmation, along with a quiet promise that he would call.

And just like that, Narumi was gone, and in his place was a very much displeased Gouto.

"Be careful, Jouhei." The feline warned, "Getting too close to someone like that could give them the wrong idea."

The boy listened to the cat, but did not truly hear. He continued to watch the door even after Narumi was long gone. Why did he suddenly feel this way? It was difficult for even he to describe to himself. He felt cold, longing, empty. No, he knew this feeling; he remembered this from long ago, as a child playing in the woods of his village so long ago.

This was loneliness.

With a heavy heart and a small, quiet sigh he finally acknowledged the cat, turning to face him. "Why?" he questioned, wanting to understand why Gouto felt that way. He knew he wasn't supposed to get too close to anyone. He'd known since day one. But having something like warmth and companionship handed to him one moment then taken away from him the next with the result being him getting scolded, it was just too cruel.

The answer was short, simple. "It will cloud your judgment." Gouto stated plainly. "I tolerate you going to him for friendship, for treatment if you are injured..." He leapt from his spot on the table to the counter so he may gauge his pupil's reaction. "But it is not acceptable to become entwined with someone's life unless it is necessary for a mission. You must keep yourself distanced."

Such a cold thing to say, but Raidou knew he was right. Yet he was torn about the cat's words. Narumi was more than a friend to him, more than just the man who stitched his wounds. He was a companion, a second mentor, perhaps even something he didn't understand. All Raidou knew was that he was dear to him and being forced to distance himself was not only cruel to the both of them, but becoming increasingly impossible.

"I understand..." but in the end, what could he say? He couldn't disobey, argue with his overseer about how he didn't want to let go of the developing closeness. So he just dropped it. With lowered eyes he moved to ready himself for bed, to drag his futon from the closet and set up for sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Golden Week ended, school began again. The unusually high influx of cases slowed to its usual steady trickle; a blessing and a curse for the detective. Sure it was nice to not constantly be running about, but the lack of funds could get daunting very quickly, especially with his well-acknowledged habit of overspending. He was in the green, for now, and as long as he didn't splurge too heavily he'd be fine even if this month yielded no cases.

But even with that bit of financial cushion covering his ass from any unfortunate shopping urges, Narumi felt a bit off the days following his visit to Raidou's apartment. The boy had clammed up and became suddenly cold and avoidant. It had to do with his "mentor's" reaction to their touching, he was sure. It made him wonder why the feline was so opposed to Raidou getting close to him, why the boy made such an effort to force him away when the cat had spoken out... Was the Yatagarasu so particular about their underlings forming any sort of interpersonal connection?

The thoughts circled and brought up the point he had been trying to hide since it first entered his head. The feeling of the boy leaning against him, Narumi's hands on his back, feeling the ribs through the cloth of his button-down shirt, the hollow sound of his fingers tapping against the boy's shoulder... And the look on his face; that slight, almost invisible smile, those long lashes fluttering closed as he rested against him. And perhaps the most daunting notion; the fact that his pulse-rate had jumped as soon as the boy was near.

Like a teenage boy fawning over a young lass in class, Narumi couldn't get those images from his head, yet he was afraid to let those ideas pan out. It seemed lately that any ideas involving Raidou were quickly becoming something of an issue, one that he was not ready to try and solve. Too many variables and not enough clues, and the ever present societal qualms factoring into each individual idea.

He could not help but wonder what would have happened if Gouto had not appeared at that moment, and the fact that his mind was actually considering the possibilities with someone so young, not to mention male, was grating on his normally sane mind.

Perhaps that's what was bothering him so in the hours of downtime he was experiencing at the Agency that day; causing him to think and overthink each and every dropped hint (if one could call them that) to see if there was truly anything behind the boy's actions aside from platonic affection. A part of him wanted just that, and the other part wanted more. Far more.

Narumi let frustrated growl and scrubbed at his curly locks before his head planted against the finished oak desk in front of him with a precise '_thunk_'. "This is absolutely ridiculous!" He scolded himself out loud; something he took to doing when he really needed to commit a fact to memory. Vocalizing it just seemed to drive it into his skull better than simple thought. "I don't need to be obsessing about him. It doesn't mean a thing!" His voice rose in volume as he stood, taking up pacing in front of his desk, hand on his chin. "Raidou is young and has little to no human contact. Such a gesture could not possibly mean anything significant aside from him being tired. I'm thinking too far into this." The detective threw his hands into the air, shouting to the walls. "Shouhei, get a grip!"

His voice echoed in the empty office, jolting Narumi out of his ravings long enough to realize what he was ranting about. Why was he so transfixed? Why did he make such an effort to see the boy, to make himself available and to assure that he'd be there if needed? And just why did the both of them seem so upset to be separated? Was Raidou upset? Or was he simply showing the subservient side to this mentor and shoving him away willingly?

His subconscious answered the questions for him, but the voice was quickly squelched by reason and morality, amongst other personal quirks that weren't quite ready to be brought to the surface. Not yet, and possibly not ever.

"I'm driving myself batty here." He chided, fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve. "It's all in your head, Shouhei. He's just a kid, after all..."

The opposing sides of his subconscious rose in a clamor of protests as Narumi reached for his phone, fully intending on calling the young summoner just to check in. He paused before hitting the speed dial on the front screen, marked with an icon of a school cap. "What was the rule...? Three days? Or was it two?" Upon realizing what he was actually debating, Narumi about went on a rant again. "The hell am I saying? It's not like that!"

The suddenly, almost miraculously, the phone began ringing in his hand, buzzing obnoxiously along with it. If that didn't get the man's blood pressure to elevate, then the icon surely would. A school cap, the ringtone a pleasant jazz number.

Narumi stared at the device for a few rings, wondering what sort of witchcraft would cause the boy to call at the exact moment when he was having something of a crisis. Before it could go to voicemail, he answered, taking all of two seconds to compose himself before speaking. "Hey, kid!" He greeted, almost too cheerful. It dawned on him that Raidou could be calling because he was injured again, or worse, and his mood suddenly dampened. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," came over the earpiece, Raidou sounding little more than indifferent to Narumi's worries. Good to know the kid was safe. But then came the even more curious question of why he'd called if he wasn't in need of any help. Or was he?

Narumi attempted to play it off smooth, keep his concerns hidden. "Haven't heard from you in a few days. What can I do for you?"

"Are you free today?" Was he free today? Was this a prank? Had the kid misplaced his phone and someone else with a breathlessly semi-deep voice like his calling to poke fun? If not, then perhaps the end of days was upon them. Narumi blinked, pulled the phone back to double-check that it was Raidou's phone that rang his before placing it to his ear again. "Yeah, no appointments today... Why?"

"Gouto is away reporting to the elders and I don't have any open cases." Ah, so that was it. A mischievous smile crossed Narumi's lips and he took the phone in his other hand so he could fiddle with a pen on his desk. "So you're taking this opportunity to meet up with me? I should feel honored, you sneak." He chuckled, voice full of mirth.

"I wanted to see you. Now seemed like a good time... I hope I'm not imposing." Of course such a statement seemed like nothing outwardly, but the tone. It was faint, barely hinted at all but... It was enough to change Narumi's tone. He needn't say more. "Do you want to check out the mall in Ginza?"

"The mall..." Yes, that was right. Narumi had mentioned the mall before. Not really knowing what to make of it, but eager to learn, Raidou agreed.

"Then it's settled!" Narumi chimed, already heading for his room to shuffle around for a new outfit. "I'll meet you there... say, four o'clock?"

"Where should we meet?"

"I'll pick you up."

Pick him up? Raidou thought to protest, saying he could make it there on his own, but in the end he agreed that being picked up was the best option. He didn't much know the bus system yet and it wouldn't do for him to be late for their outing.

With that final agreeance, Narumi readjusted the phone, all smiles. "Then I'll see you in a few."

"Yes... See you soon, Narumi-san." The phone call disconnected, line going silent.

What he wore could hardly be called "dressed to the nines", but there was a certain amount of pride that Narumi had in his wardrobe. Everything article of clothing had its proper mate, a complete ensemble perfectly put together. Every vest had matching slacks, shoes, accessories, and even a hat, if he felt so inclined. For today, his first real outing with Raidou, he chose a more casual, summery outfit; maroon button-up top, sleeves rolled to his elbows, complimented with a black and maroon pin-striped vest, open, with black trousers to match. The hat matched his vest, and he couldn't have felt more suave as he rolled up to the apartment complex in his car... even though his car clearly wasn't as impressive looking as he was.

He pulled out his cell and rang Raidou's phone, perching the device between his ear and shoulder so he could adjust his wrist-watch. Before he could even complete the call the passenger car door was opened, a very familiar figure sliding in, dressed in his usual black school uniform, hat perched atop his head. But today he was all smiles, though faint and hard to notice. No, Narumi knew it well when he looked at this boy now; it wasn't his lips that smiled, his eyes smiled for him. "Good afternoon Narumi-san."

Narumi grinned and set the phone into the cup holder, glancing to the thick black jacket his companion was wearing and stifling a laugh. "You didn't have to wear your uniform, Raidou."

"I didn't think a kimono would be appropriate," the boy replied, shifting to reach for his seatbelt and buckle up. So Raidou really didn't have any other clothing besides his few traditional items and his school uniform. Narumi looked like he'd keel over with shock. "All right, it's settled. First thing we're doing is getting you actual clothes." Savings be damned, this boy needed something to wear besides a school uniform and a sleeping kimono, and who else would take up such a task but him?

The look of surprise on the summoner's face was priceless. It was like the gears in his head were slowly trying to turn, but something had gotten caught in them along the way. He couldn't wrap his brain around this kind of selfless generosity. It made him feel self-conscious as well as guilty for taking advantage of the man's kindness. "...You don't have to..." he muttered, trying to bring the man to reason, but Narumi was not having it. "Kid, with the way things are going, I'm liable to get arrested with you in that uniform. Besides..." He tugged at his vest, throwing the boy a wink. "I know how to dress you."

Still uncomfortable but knowing full well he was not going to win this argument, Raidou instead he simply sat back and allowed himself to be lead.

Narumi pointed heroically to the distance as he started the engine of his run-down car. "Now, off to the mall!"

The mall itself was crowded as always, filled with hyperactive groups on teenage girls, mothers with kids and business men alike. It was a little overwhelming, much to Raidou's dismay. But he found that if he stayed close to the detective he felt just a little better about the loud and bright world he was now in. Narumi didn't seem to mind in the slightest. In fact the faintest if smirks crossed his lips whenever Raidou huddled close. The eyes on them were questioning though, so it didn't go any further than that.

"What kind of clothes do you like, Raidou?" Narumi queried as they passed the many stores lining the giant shopping center. The boy almost didn't hear him, too busy looking around at all the shops and sights to see. When he was addressed he turned to look at the man next to him, eyes showing his bewilderment. "I don't know." He hadn't exactly gotten to choose his attire before. Everything was chosen for him. Narumi played with a strand of hair, glancing at one of the more hip and trendy shops of the bunch. "Ehn... I suppose you wouldn't..." The man suddenly stopped, turned on heel and took a few steps back, eyes wandering over the boy, a hand to his chin. "Let's see here..." He began noting the boy's build, how he stood, his skin tone, trying to figure what sort of clothing would look nice on him. Raidou stopped and slowly turned towards him, suddenly feeling just a little self-conscious. He easily hid it, standing straight with his eyes on Narumi's.

"Don't be so stiff." Narumi chided, now circling the boy to get a look at him from behind. If questioned, he'd openly deny that he was using this as an excuse to eye the boy, both to himself and everyone who'd ask. "Just stand like you normally would."

Raidou's eyes continued to follow the man as he circled, looking just a little nervous. What was he doing? "...I am."

Finally Narumi completed his initial scan of the boy's body, clapping a hand on his shoulder as he stepped to the front again. "I think I know where to begin." He grinned, thumbing his hat. "You ready to play dress-up?"

Suddenly Raidou was second guessing his choice to see the man today... But regardless he agreed, knowing he really did mean him no harm, even if it was embarrassing that he kept wanting to buy him things.

No matter how many times Narumi insisted, Raidou just couldn't see himself dressing like the detective did. At the present he stood before a dressing room mirror, adorned in what the attendant described as "Nouveau Noir"; taking the formal to the casual, much like Narumi had a habit of doing. He currently dressed in a short-sleeved white linen button-up with a dark vest that matched the tight jeans he had been handed. A fedora rested on the dressing room bench, just waiting to be tried on to complete the ensemble. "You doing okay, Raidou?" Narumi called from the other side of the current.

Besides being more than a little uncomfortable Raidou was, for the most part, silent. He didn't understand why Narumi insisted dressing him like those male models that were on the stores posters hanging all over the place, but he was missing his school uniform terribly. "I'm fine."

"If you're dressed. Come on out so I can see." He sang, wondering if Raidou would panic if he peaked into the dressing room.

Oh, he could feel his face pinkening already. With a slow, deep breath he steeled himself. He reached for the curtain, slowly drawing it back and peaking outside. Narumi stood there, arms crossed and ready to analyze the boy's attire. "Well, come out. Don't be shy..." He waved him closer, almost teasing. Not helping. Gaze lowered, eyed effectively covered by the brim of his hat, Raidou pulled the curtain back the rest of the way and inched his way out of the changing room.

"Ah, it looks great on you!" Narumi beamed, tugging at the sleeves to adjust them, completely ignoring Raidou's bright red face. "Where's the hat? It matches."

Sheepishly the boy pointed back to the dressing room, face just a little pink. Narumi quirked a brow, "Why don't you try it on? I want to see..."

"It's fine like this..."

"Oh, don't be like that. I want to see the whole picture." Narumi plucked Raidou's hat from his head, set it aside, and turned to retrieve the fedora from the bench. The moment the hat was gone... it was like Narumi had flipped a 'power' switch. The boy instantly froze up, eyes slightly widened. It was like he literally didn't know what to do. The hat retrieved, Narumi plopped it atop his head, adjusting it so it sat proper. "There, that looks nice, doesn't it?" He asked, then noticed the boy's expression. Instantly he was concerned, "What's wrong?"

Raidou didn't speak a word, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes. The kid looked positively freaked. Narumi waved a hand in front of his eyes, trying to get his attention. "Raidou...? Kid, are you okay?" Their eyes met, Raidou giving him what could only be described as the saddest eyes Narumi had ever seen. It felt like the boy was squeezing his heart with that look... "...Don't like the hat?" He inquired quietly.

Blue-grey eyes lowered, Raidou slowly slipping the hat off and reaching for his own, putting it back in his proper place. Gone was the pleasant blush that had tinted his angled cheeks just moments ago. Now his face was just dead white, like he'd seen a ghost. Was he really that upset about having his hat taken off? "..Sorry."

The man's hand was on his shoulder again, Narumi once again sounding like a concerned older brother. "What was that about, kid? You look like someone just tried to attack you or something..." And knowing Raidou's profession, he would rarely if ever have an expression of extreme terror such as that.

"That's a pretty big nothing, Raidou..." Narumi leaned closer so the boy could say what was troubling him without other's hearing. He figured it was a private matter. Then realization dawned on him, and his hand was quickly pulled back. "Is it that you don't like me touching you?" Asked the man, only mildly panicked.

Instantly the summoner shook his head, short but firm. "No, it's not that."

Narumi withheld a sigh of relief, even though his mind was telling him to stop thinking like he was trying to court the teen. He shoved the thought aside and continued to investigate. "Then what? Is it the outfit?"

Again, he shook his head, though much softer now. But instead of really answering Raidou moved back into the changing room, pulling the curtain slowly across the entryway. "H-hey, Raidou!" But before the boy could hide away, Narumi was in there with him, having followed inside. "What did I do?"

Now the blush was back, and tenfold. But Raidou stayed firm, meeting the man's gaze. "It's really nothing, Narumi-san... Just an irrational reaction." he explained.

"Still, if I've done something to hurt or frighten you, you should tell me so I don't do it again." They were close, so close, cramped together in a barely meter by meter box with Raidou. Upon realizing the position they were in Narumi found himself blushing as well.

"I don't like the top of my head being exposed..."

Narumi seemed puzzled by the confession. The first question; "Why? I've seen you without your hat before..." Many times, actually, when he was injured or asleep. "But not so suddenly like that..." So that was it. A strange thing to be so panicked about, but for a boy that could not only see demons but fought them as well, this was pretty normal when Narumi really got down to thinking about it.

The man scratched his neck, now knowing the reason the boy was so scared and feeling like an ass for it. "So that was it... Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..." He muttered, giving him an apologetic look. And yet the boy graced him with a small smile, shy, almost coy. He really was a cute kid. And being so close like this, almost touching. Just a few inches and they would be-"Narumi-san?" Raidou spoke up, finally breaking the silence and the detectives spiraling thought pattern. "Ah, yeah, kid?"

"May I dress now?"

And back to the spiraling again. "Err... Yeah, go ahead..."

"Narumi-san?" Suddenly any sort of immoral thought was rudely interrupted by a shriek from outside the dressing room. Narumi knew that shriek, and he groaned inwardly when he realized this. But too late, before he could shout back any defense the curtains were ripped open, and before them stood a red-faced Tae. "What are you doing?"

"Damn it, Tae-chan! We're working here!"

"Yes, because that's exactly what it looks like!" Narumi was grabbed by his vest and yanked from the changing room, landing unceremoniously on the tile floor as Tae stormed in to check on whom she assumed as an unfortunate victim of an unspeakable crime. She only found Raidou, fully dressed save for a couple of undone buttons on his shirt, face just as surprised as Narumi's.

This was not helping Raidou's lack of social talent. In fact, it was probably just making it worst. He nodded once to the woman politely before rushing to Narumi's side and attempting to help him up from his very much face-planted position. Once upright, Narumi continued to spat at the woman, "What the hell, Tae? I was helping him figure out what clothes look good on him!"

The younger woman glared at him, arms crossed in front of her chest. "And that involves being in the dressing room with him? Narumi-san, you're a pervert!" She accused, the scene quickly drawing the attention of other shoppers. If they continued at this rate, they'd be thrown out and banned from the store.

"It isn't like that, Tae-san," Raidou interjected, playing the voice of reason. "Narumi-san and I were just talking in private when you showed up."

"Listen to the boy, Tae." Narumi growled, rubbing his quickly bruising forehead. "The hell kind of man do you think I am?"

Tae pout, arms akimbo as she stalked towards the two, looming over Raidou. "So you say, but it doesn't look like Raidou is all that comfortable... Besides..." She then turned to the young summoner, tugging at his shirt sleeve. "This is nice, but not exactly fit for walking around in the summer months, is it?"

The boy looked between the adults, blinking once or twice in confusion. What was happening? Before he could voice his confusion (or allow Narumi to protest) Tae was pushing him back into the changing room. "If you like it, keep it, but I'm taking over the show now. We're going to get you more proper summer clothes, Raidou!"

"Ah, hey, Tae-chan! Don't force him into anything!"

Raidou was at a loss now. He had two very insistent people with him now, both wanting to force their opinions of how he should dress at him. With a small sigh be closed the curtain and went back to getting his clothing changed.

It was obvious that Tae and Narumi had very differing views on their ideas of what did and didn't look good on a seventeen year old boy. Tae voted for comfort with a touch of alternative, while Narumi tried to steer him towards the annals of style with a touch of old school. After much fuss and fighting, not to mention about a dozen vendors, the three of them finally came to a compromise in terms of clothing.

"There, it's perfect!" Tae stepped back to admire their combined efforts, both of them gazing at Raidou like a couple of proud parents.

Still very much uncomfortable but at least in something a little less constricting than what Narumi had initially dressed him in, and considerably less 'scene' than Tae was thinking of, he was feeling a little better about it. And best of all, he could incorporate both styles. He was wearing black slacks and a white vest, a little undersized for fashions sake, and a dark blue v-neck, short sleeved t-shirt, tucked in place and finished off with a nice leather belt. He still wore his school shoes, just a bit on the old Victorian side, but somehow it matched nicely. The fedora was a nice touch, too (this time Narumi had let Raidou put it on himself). All in all, everyone was pleased.

Narumi once again circled the boy, grinning all the while. "Not bad, Tae! Good call on the v-neck." He smirked, but before Tae could call him out on the comment for its suggestiveness, Narumi continued. "How does it feel, Raidou?"

The summoner smiled lightly, still out of sorts but feeling just a little better about it all. This only served to make Narumi smile more, "Don't be so nervous about it, you look fantastic." He said quietly enough so Tae wouldn't hear. Raidou was blushing again, he could tell that much. He lowered his head, letting the brim of the hat cover the pink as best it could.

Tae approached them both, handing over the pile of approved clothing to the detective. "Well, my work here is done." She looked to Raidou and gave him a grin with a playful wink. "Take him to the cleaner's, Raidou-chan."

Narumi winced at that choice of phrasing. "T-Tae-chan, don't say it like that. I'm not his sugar daddy!"

"Oh, but aren't you?" Tae laughed, something that was beginning to sound more like a cackle to the detective. She pat him on the back before heading towards the front of the store, waving as she disappeared into the crowd.

The boys just stared as she left, moments later their eyes simultaneously drifting sideways towards the others in an awkward glance. "...Sugar daddy..?" Did he even want to know?

Narumi buried his face into his free hand, groaning in exasperation. "Let's... Just go pay for these and get something to eat."

Raidou was easily up for that. Spending time with Tae could be exhausting. He went to gather his things and head back to the dressing room to change his clothes, looking a little more tired than before.

"Ah, Raidou?" The summoner stopped mid-step, turning back to face the man. Narumi was motioning to his attire with a smug grin. "Think you can wear what you are now to lunch?"

At first the kid thought better of it, but after a moment he agreed. After all, Narumi was buying him all this, despite his protests, so he may as well let him see him in the new clothes. He agreed with a single nod, going to gather his things from the changing room.

Narumi headed for the register, dumping the pile of clothing onto the counter in front of the smirking attendant. The kid looked to be about Raidou's age, dark hair parted down the middle and a puffy hat nearly hiding his eyes. Was that just the fashion right now? He rang up the purchase, counting in the ones that Raidou currently wore as well...

...and his eyes widened at the final total.

"Cash or credit?" The clerk asked, smirking at his reaction. Narumi once again found himself groaning inwardly.

"...Better make it credit."

Initially Narumi had intended to take Raidou somewhere more upscale, but with the unfortunate blow to his pocket book courtesy of some very expensive trendy department stores, he would have to set his pride aside for the sake of not going over his budget too badly.

A little café nestled along one of the outer strips of the mall, quaint and quiet even on the busiest days. He had passed it quite a few times before, but never actually had a reason to go in. Narumi was more of an upscale dining sort of man when he decided to eat out.

Glass display cases lined one side of the shops, dozens of cakes and pastries put out with their appropriate prices. A lone attendant stood behind the counter, preparing sandwiches for another pair of guests. She must have been the only clerk that day. "Welcome!" She greeted them, rounding the counter with the entrée for the other guests. "I'll be right with you, please have a seat."

"Booth or table?" Narumi looked to his dining companion to make the decision.

Raidou, who had at least been kind enough to carry most of the bags as thanks for Narumi's generosity, was locked in a stare with... something. But when he was spoken to his eyes immediately turned towards the older man, lips smiling faintly. "You choose."

Narumi ignored the strange stare, leading them both over to a two-person booth in the corner; far away from where anyone else could bother them. "I've never eaten here." He began, "But I'm told they have delicious pastries. You like sweets, right?"

The boy followed close by, nodding softly. He set the multitude of bags down to the side, propped up against one of the walls, and took a seat. "I haven't had many, but I like what I've had."

"You should look through and see what you like, then." Narumi plucked one of the menus from the table and handed it to Raidou. "I hear the coffee cakes are good."

The menu was accepted with a small smile, Raidou cracking it open and looking through the rather large dessert section. His smile widened; everything just looked so delicious. Narumi reveled in his reaction; he didn't think sweets would make him smile _that_ big. He looked positively adorable. "See anything you like?"

"It all looks nice." Too true, but he couldn't eat all of the sweets. He'd be sick, and ruin Narumi's budget... more so than before. Instead he settled on a raspberry white chocolate mousse, intently wondering what the taste and texture would be like.

Narumi set his own menu down, toying with a curly strand of hair. "The tiramisu looks divine. I think I'll have that. What about you?"

Raidou set his menu in front of the older man, pointing to his selection with the coyest of smiles. It was like he was asking his opinion on the selection as much as he was expressing his desire for the treat. "Ah, that does look good! Do you want tea with it too?" Narumi glanced over his shoulder to the clerk, waving her over before turning back to Raidou. "We could get a pot of something to share..."

"I'd like that." The look in his eyes when he was offered tea and cakes was positively the most beautiful thing the detective could have imagined. Raidou just looked so happy with the idea. He would continue to marvel at this, even with the male counterpart of the young couple across the room making retching noises at their antics.

For a few long moments Narumi found himself admiring the boy. He had the sweetest of smiles on his face as he looked over the menu, thick lashes fluttering now and then, almost masking those pale blue orbs. On occasion he'd glance up at him, smile shyly, and bury his face in the menu again. The boy was cute, he'd give him that. The realization that he had just pinned Raidou, a seventeen year old boy, as cute and had been ogling him for a good ten minutes made Narumi stiffen slightly, his stomach ladened with guilt.

The young waitress approached them, interrupting his thoughts with a friendly greeting, her pen and paper in hand. Narumi squelched the dark train of thought as she took their orders with a smile, winking at Raidou as she returned behind the counter to prepare their dessert. But what caught everyone's eye was not the slight saunter to her step, but how she tripped and he skirt, as heavy as it looked with all the frills of the petticoat beneath, somehow fluttered up as she walked as if carried by a strung gust. Narumi found himself gaping as she quickly trotted behind the counter, hands over her rear, face beat red.

Raidou had barely noticed the incident, too busy already with the conversation Narumi had begun over cakes. What did grab his attention was the panicked yelp and the embarrassment that followed. His eyes didn't stay on the girl long. No, they trailed off elsewhere, following something unseen.

Narumi leaned close, face a little red. "What just happened? I didn't feel any wind..." Was it a promotional stunt? Hell, panty-shots would certainly bring him into a shop, but this wasn't that sort of venue... at least he didn't think it was. The boy didn't answer, eyes slowly drifting across the open area of the cafe, following... something. Curious, Narumi waved a hand across his eyes. "Raidou? You there, kid?" He whispered, wondering if the kid was having some sort of absence seizure in the middle of their date. _Wait, when did I start considering this a date?_

"I'm fine, Narumi-san..." he muttered, eyes finally moving from the vastness of nothing and back over to the older man. Narumi scratched his neck, giving the boy a questioning gaze. "What were you looking at?" It was about then that he felt an unusual weight on his shoulder, one he did his best to ignore.

Raidou, it seemed, was unable to ignore it however. His eyes moved from the man's honey brown eyes and stared forward with a slight frown, like he was looking past him. No, perhaps at something on his shoulder. "Stop doing that," he said out of nowhere, voice soft yet stern. Narumi halted his motions, hands still on his neck. "Stop doing... what?" He queried, only slightly confused.

"No, not you..." the summoner muttered, pointing toward the aching shoulder, "Him."

"Eh?" Narumi looked over his shoulder, seeing no one there. But what the man couldn't see was a small, pale creature idly floating over the man, looking a little sad. "Aww... but why?" It asked, it's voice child-like, a tad deformed, and only audible to Raidou. "Because you're hurting Narumi-san. What you did to that girl wasn't fair either." he stated, less than pleased.

"I'm sorry..." The creature sniffled, drooping a little in his hovering. "I just wanted to eat with you two." Narumi watched, completely astonished, as Raidou carried a conversation with something no one else but him could see.

Upon hearing the little demon's words Raidou softened a bit. Curious, he felt compelled to question it more. "Why did you want to eat with us?" he asked, though much more gentle now, his tone quiet, almost kind.

The demon fluttered down to the table, taking a seat in the middle while Narumi continued to search for the creature Raidou was speaking to. "The nice lady..." The demon blushed a little. "She makes really good looking treats and I wanted to try them."

The summoner's eyes followed as the demon sat, nodding softly as it spoke. "You didn't have to lift her skirt up like that."

"I wanted to get her attention! She ignores me..."

"She can't see you," the boy pointed out blankly.

"But you can see me?" The demon gazed up at him, hopeful. Narumi was now staring blankly at the table, confused as ever. The boy nodded once, eyes shifting towards his human companion. "Narumi-san."

Narumi blinked, surprised the boy was talking to him and not the invisible chip-on-your-shoulder demon. "Yeah?"

"Are you all right?"

The man nodded, scrubbing at his face. "I'm fine. Just trying to figure who or what you're talking to."

"Poltergeist." The way he said it, so plain with eyes so innocent, it was convincing even if it was the weirdest thing he'd heard in a while. Narumi quirked a brow, immediately a little tense; if something like that was right in front of him... "Isn't that a little dangerous to have?"

"It's just a child."

"But is he dangerous?"

The poltergeist turned to the detective, pout, then floated to perch atop Raidou's head. "He's mean... I just wanted something sweet to eat!"

The boy pouted softly at the man, allowing the little demon to sit on his new hat. "Not all demons mean harm, Narumi-san."

The little poltergeist prodded his hat, a sad, pathetic whine emanating from the orifice that was to be his mouth. "Hey mister... Can I have some sweets?"

Blue-grey eyes flicked upward, Raidou's eyes meeting the little poltergeists, who was leaning over his hat now. "It's not nice to interrupt. Wait your turn." Stern words, but spoken gently, like a brother would their younger sibling. Strange. Was this the way he was with all demons? It was intriguing to say the least. Narumi continued to watch in awe. So this was how Raidou worked with more cooperative demons; exuding dominance while still minding his manners. Impressive indeed. The poltergeist wilted and whined softly, looking very much depressed. "All I wanted was to eat something sweet... But daddy told me it was bad to steal..." Daddy? Did these creatures have such a thing?

"If you don't bother the lady again I'll share mine."

The poltergeist levitated just inches from Raidou's face, staring at him with blank, soulless eyes. "Really? You mean it, mister?" It asked in its child-like voice. The summoner smiled just a little, nodding once. "I promise."

The demon cheered and plopped onto the boy's lap, getting comfortable. "Thanks mister! You're my new best friend!" He announced, waving up at him with his tiny, nubbish arms. Raidou couldn't help but laugh just a little, under his breath so no one would think he was strange. "Is it gone...?" Except for maybe Narumi, who still stared completely out of the loop.

"He's sitting in my lap." Awkward. Narumi was about to ask whether or not that was safe when the waitress served their dessert to them. Tiramisu for Narumi, mousse for Raidou, and a pot of English tea to share. As she returned to the counter, he could hear what sounded like a faint "thank you miss!" coming from Raidou's direction.

As promised, Raidou kept his word and offered the little demon a bit of his treat. He even so much as offered the first bite, spooning a small mouthful and holding it out for the demon in his lap. Across from the distinct clatter of a dropped fork sounded from Narumi's plate. The man was staring again, undoubtedly at the levitating and disappearing scoop of mousse. Oh, what had he gotten into finding an interest in such a strange boy?

Raidou's eyes flicked upwards in a second, landing on the older man with confusion and concern. "Are you all right?"

Narumi quickly nodded his head and buried his face in his tea cup. "Yeah, I'm fine."_ Just questioning my taste in men... Oh, what the hell self, not this again!_ But all in all, Raidou really was sweet, even if he did do some off the wall stuff. He couldn't help but ogle that smile of his, that kind look in his eyes as he shared his mousse with the creature that had apparently been causing the ruckus in this little shop. A very strange boy indeed. Strange, and unique... And somehow Narumi didn't mind at all.

Eventually the two settled down, the little demon sitting back contently in the summoners lap. Conversation was started sometime along the way, the boys enjoying their tea and talking about the most pointless yet interesting topics. The two could talk about damn near anything, it seemed.

The two continued to chat until the shop was readying to close up, the waitress politely handing them a check with a smile. Narumi reached for it, glanced at the tab, then put down his card before Raidou could do anything to the contrary. He still tried, gently insisting he get the tab since Narumi had already done so much for him. Nothing going. Try as he may, the detective would not budge. So in return Raidou promised he would do something nice for him. Narumi would ask nothing, except "Just come by more often." He insisted, leaning his chin into his palm, a lazy grin on his face. "So I don't have to go chase you down again."

The boy agreed with that, nodding softly. He had a few ideas of how to repay the man's kindness as well. "You can call me now, right...?"

A nod, "Yes, but it means a little more when you call me, doesn't it? Even just to chat..."_ Shouhei, what are you doing? Are you putting the moves on him?_ The shy smile the boy offered was just brilliant. Easily enough, he accepted the proposal. "I will." Simple as that.

The two of them left shortly after, Narumi feeling a little smug by the progress they had made. He got the boy more modern clothes and spend the entire day with him without having to worry about evil demons and talking cats. It was quite possibly the best date he had ever had...

_Except I shouldn't, under any circumstances, be calling this a date._ Once again caught in an endless spiral of moral dilemma, Narumi hardly noticed the boy talking to the invisible creature once again. The boy had stopped mid-step as they were leaving, bidding it farewell and telling it not to bother the store owner again. The demon promised to behave, giving Raidou a little hug on the shoulder before fluttering back into the rafters of the open-air mall. Even Narumi felt the presence leave, and looked up to see if he could spot the creature. "So he was friendly after all..."

The summoner smiled a little, watching it fly away. He hummed softly in response, walking back over to the man and leveling a kind gaze with his. "As I said... not all demons mean to cause harm."

"Like the ones you bring in, right?" Narumi winked, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You're an interesting fellow, Raidou." Even though he knew at least that from the start. It was funny how being along with him in a calm, casual situation was allowing Raidou's true self to shine through. Kind, sweet, compassionate, painfully shy, but overall...

The detective's eyes twitched as the internal monologue turned into something from a shoujo manga. He shook it off, meeting Raidou's gaze once again. "It's getting late. I should take you back to your place."

"Will you stay a while?" the boy asked out of nowhere. So innocent. Oh, if only he knew the usual connotations of those words. Narumi's mind ran wild...

"Erm... I should probably head back soon. Your cat is probably home by now." And he needed time to think about what his intentions really were.

Somehow Raidou seemed disappointed by this. His eyes suddenly lost their light. But he agreed, nodding once with a small, barely there smile. Getting a firm grip on his bags he let Narumi lead the way while playing the role of pack mule. This way, at east in his mind, he was making it up to the man for being so insanely kind to him over and over again.

The ride back to the apartment was quiet, both tuckered out from a long day. Or at least that's what Narumi would want Raidou to think. He was actually lost in thought, going over the events of the day, and constantly asking himself "Why?" Eventually they arrived at the apartment, Narumi parking on the curb and turning to his friend. "Here's your stop, kid." He smiled as he glanced to the bags in the back seat of his run-down car. "Need a hand in?"

The dark head shook slowly, Raidou seeming just a little out of it. What was wrong? But then he turned to him, smiled kindly and thanked him for the day. Before another word could be said Raidou got out of the car, making sure to gather all his bags from the back before making his way back into his apartment building.

Narumi could not fight the feeling that, after so much effort put in for the day, he had somehow royally screwed up by not accepting the invite upstairs to his apartment. Sighing he slumped forward, forehead smacking into the steering wheel as he replayed the day over and over in his head, along with the conflicting emotions and desires that went with them.

It was time for the man to sit back and ask himself what his intentions really were. Did he want to be a friend, mentor, father or brother figure? As much as he tried to convince himself that it was one of those more wholesome titles, each thought strayed towards the immoral, yet very much apparent truth.

"...I need my head checked." Narumi mumbled to himself as he started the engine and drove off back towards his office.


	13. Chapter 13

To this day Narumi would defend that he was, in fact, a heterosexual man. He liked women, women with long hair, nice legs, and plentiful bosoms. He had many women in the past come to his bed, and many leave satisfied. He had been known as a lady killer, a Casanova, the love-em-and-leave-em type even. The man was physically fit, intelligent, had his own business and living space, and if he played his cards right, lots of money (though that last one was debatable). If he wanted to, and had the time, there would likely be many more to come and go. Yet, his mind would point out, he had not had any since that rainy day where he had brought home what he could easily describe as an injured stray cat. And this fact, along with the evidence stacking up against his "heterosexual male" case, was causing him to have something of a mid-life crisis in his office for a good five days.

Days went by and all Narumi could think about was Raidou. While overall he had enjoyed their little outing (he was still refusing to refer to it as a date), he couldn't help but feel unnerved by his apparent motivation, or rather the vagueness of said motivation. He kept telling himself that he just wanted to help, to be the good Samaritan and give Raidou a bit of hope in this dog-eat-dog world. But the more he thought about it, the more that ideal became clouded. Was it so he could be Raidou's friend? Or was the more sinister side of him trying to get something else out of the relationship? Raidou was so innocent, naïve, and very impressionable. It would only take a little bit of a push to get him to...

If he was spiraling before, he was nose-diving into troubled waters now.

He had spent days worrying over this, hardly able to focus on the websites he'd prowl, let alone cases he had taken up. He couldn't very well tail adulterous wives or seedy co-workers when all he could think about was pale blue eyes and plump lips. It was damn near maddening how the boy had managed to go from being a simple person of interest to the subject of an obsession. Perhaps he was going mad; his mind seemed to weigh heavily between two extremes. One side said to embrace this and give Raidou something he likely never had before, while the other side told him it was foul of him to be objectifying an underage boy in such a way. But he couldn't deny the lust was there, and likely something more, but the question was whether or not he'd have the balls to act on it.

_No, _he repeated to himself,_ I couldn't do that. The kid hardly knows what friendship is like... If I exploit that, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself._ Narumi found himself at an impasse, the same one he had been stuck on since he drove home alone that night just a few days prior. Allow the relationship to develop into whatever it wanted to be, or cut the boy off, firmly cementing the boundaries of friend and mentor before either of them could get in too deep. Raidou wasn't like any of the women he had dated in the past; he couldn't simply have a couple of flings in the sack and toss him aside. That would hurt Raidou and permanently mar his view of the man and the world around him, and that was the absolute last thing he ever wanted; to bring Raidou pain.

But while the rational bit of his mind told him that was the best plan, the other half, the one he normally listened to in times like these, told him to let it grow and see what came of it. If Raidou didn't learn it from him, he'd learn it from someone else... right? Or perhaps he wouldn't; Gouto had been displeased last time, hadn't he?

Caught in the loop once more, Narumi smacked his forehead into the oak of his desk, groaning in defeat. This was more than just concern for the boy's feelings, it was a god damned morale debate. How much longer would he have to deal with this constant internal conflict, this constant worry that he'd foul everything up and end up hurting Raidou?

It was then his cell phone beeped, a text message from someone he had not heard from in some time... and to this day, wish he hadn't heard from at all.

As one would expect of a military base, Kasumidai had nothing notable in terms of restaurants, unless one enjoyed commissary cafeteria gruel. Narumi continued to mourn this fact as he sat on the small bench in one of the now mostly unmanned Naval bases. Since the second war the base had hardly seen any action outside of aiding allied countries in times of need, thus leaving what was once a major shipyard almost completely decommissioned.

But because of its exclusivity as still being part of government property, not much in the way of business had been allowed to be built there, leaving any sort of civilian manned shop almost entirely limited to tourist traps and souvenir stalls pawning off historical memorabilia. Annoying, really, but then again Narumi wasn't in charge of the zoning, and if he was, and he'd attest to this, the entirety of the base would have been converted to a shopping center or mall of sorts. At least then it'd draw a more desirable crowd, and less foreign military fanatics.

The metal gate blockading him from entering the still very guarded main base sparked to life and slid to one side, allowing passage a of lanky man that was seriously out of uniform for being one of the few employees left in commission in this time of peace. His uniform jacket hung open, exposing his wife-beater tank, his cap a bit crooked atop his buzz-cut head. A mole accented his left cheek just below the eye, rising as he grinned at the visitor waiting. "Oh, good, you're here." A familiar, if not irritatingly so, voice greeted him. "I almost thought you wouldn't come, then again you sounded like you were in high spirits on the phone." The man crossed the threshold of the electronic gate as it began creaking closed behind him. One had to wonder why such a low-key base even had a need for such high security, but that was the price you paid for being a tourist attraction.

Still, friendliness aside, Narumi was not in the mood to see this particular militant, and even less so with the prospect of a job hanging over his head. "Sadakichi, I don't know what you're getting me into, but I'm not keen on the idea of helping out the military." He stated bluntly, rising to his feet and brushing off his slacks. The navy man, Sadakichi, feigned pain while grabbing at his tank top. "Narumi, you wound me! I thought we were pals!"

"Pals don't make their pals take the heat for your botched mission." He spat.

"That was for the sake of my job, and you only got in a bit of trouble for it!" The man defended himself, attempting to wrap an arm around Narumi's shoulders.

The arm got swat away before he got too far. "I got a week's suspension without pain for covering you, which may I mention, you coerced me to do."

"What's in the past is in the past, my friend, and today I need your help again." Sadakichi cut the buddy-buddy act in exchange for a much more sinister expression, the one he used to get his way with just about everyone. Sadakichi, for however much of a kidder he could be when relaxed, was nothing short of terrifying when he got down to business. "It's a matter of security. I'm sure you understand." His eyes darted to the locked gate, and the guard attending it. "Accompany me to the control deck."

It wasn't a request, it was a command. That's one of the many things Narumi disliked about assisting the military in cases; he had no choice but to comply and accept the case, otherwise he'd be met with nothing but not-so-empty threats and coercive acts like the last time he dealt with Sadakichi. Except that time he had a boss above him to bring down the pain, and Sadakichi was the sort to shrug the blame off on someone else if at all possible. Narumi sighed and complied, following the cocky soldier into the base.

The control deck, which was really just a fancy name for the severely dated security room, was stationed at the very bottom floor of the main storage unit, overseeing the entire base's internal monitoring systems. In this case, the majority of said system was old closed-circuit television units, a few DOS-prompt displays for data entry and less strenuous monitoring tasks, and about half a dozen over-caffeinated guards wasting their lives earning a government stipend while observing the activity of the base. Narumi felt for them; they weren't even allowed internet access to keep them entertained. Narumi couldn't think of a more boring gig.

When the two of them entered, the four men who were still awake looked their way, shielding their eyes from the light, save for the two that were asleep at the helm. "Private Miyama, the tape please." One command from Sadakichi when he took _that_ tone was enough to send the entire room's occupants into a whirling mass of frenzied bespeckled basement dwellers. It took two men to dig out the disc Sadakichi requested, and a third to insert it into the one blank screen available. Narumi watched this display with a quirked brow, head cocked to the side. "You want to give me a heads up of what this is about?"

"It's better to just show you." Sadakichi answered bluntly, pressing a few keys to bring up a specific timestamp on the video feed; 03:33:00.

A still-frame was displayed with a marker in the lower right-hand corner reading "Supply Unit 3, north-west corner", the third storage building. The picture consisted entirely of a shot of a corner of the warehouse, crates piled as high as the ceiling, all marked "FRAGILE" in large red print. "Watch what happens..."

Sadakichi hit a key and the timer on the feed began. Nothing moved for a good twenty seconds, save for the swaying of a metal sign hanging from the ceiling. Then, just as the clock marked 33 seconds in, the pile of boxes gave way for seemingly no reason, causing the entire pile to collapse and shatter on the cement floor. Not even ten seconds later did soldiers arrive at the scene, pointing in every which direction as if demanding the other find the culprit who caused the mess. Sadakichi stopped the tape there, pulling away. "What do you make of it?"

Narumi stared at the screen for a long while before shrugging, "I think you've brought the wrong guy to the table. You should be asking the one who stacked the crates past the weight limit."

The officer didn't seem pleased by his suggestion, not a bit. "Nothing in those crates would have surpassed what the bottom crate could hold. Look again." The tape was rewound, this time played slower so it took much longer for each second to pass. This time Narumi focused on the boxes, watching for any signs of wear or stress just before the collapse. But something surprising showed; it wasn't the bottom box that gave first, but boxes two or three high, some that didn't even have weight on them, all splintered at about the same time, but so quick that it was nearly too fast to see even when the tape was slowed. "Rewind that." Narumi commanded, and the poindexter at the controls obeyed. The tape replayed, and it was the same thing each time. The boxes weren't collapsing, they were being blown apart.

"Sadakichi, what was stored in those boxes?" Narumi inquired, taking control of the keyboard and stepping through the tape frame by frame. "Medical supplies, non-perishable food stores... nothing explosive, if that's what you're asking."

"And no one else was in the warehouse or within sniping range?" His next guess.

"Not a soul. The security personal didn't see anyone, and the rest of the footage came back clean. Ah, but..." Sadakichi trailed off, glancing at his subordinates, all of which bowed their heads as if to say "I hear and see nothing, sir!"

"But, what?" Narumi continued, wondering what the man was getting at.

The naval officer walked to one side of the room, pulling down what looked to be a still-frame from the bulletin board on the wall. He handed it over to Narumi, pointing at the time stamp. "What you just saw was the third incident. This picture was taken last night, in our second warehouse at 02:22."

Narumi looked over the photo, noticing right away what Sadakichi was getting at, and why he was called. Just off center of the frame, right in front of a box that had just shattered, was a strange blurred figure. "It was only present in this frame, none others. But I am certain whatever that is has caused all the incidents."

"So you called me."

"You do specialize in "special cases" such as this, right?"

Narumi frowned, looking closer at the frame. It was definitely a demon just judging by the shape and color, but the problem was that he was not equipped to handle something this strong. A prankster poltergeist was about the extent of his demon hunting prowess... everything else was just recon and following trails from things that were supernatural.

The detective shook his head, frowning. "I don't think this is my department."

"Are you saying you can't do it?" All eyes were on him, and Narumi knew he couldn't just walk away. For as much as a hassle it was to take jobs from the military, they usually paid exceedingly well, and he was short on rent... _Still, something of this caliber isn't my... wait..._

Suddenly Narumi brightened with an idea, a grin crossing his face. "Can I make a phone call?"

Sadakichi gave him something of a quizzical look before nodding, "Step out to do it. But be quick. If you can't do it, I'll have to call in someone-"

"Ah, no no, not necessary!" Narumi quickly interjected, pulling out his cell phone and backing out of the building. "I just have to call my... my consultant! On those sorts of beings!" He laughed nervously as he shut the door, quickly dialing the one person he knew had the ability and knowledge to face something like this head on.

He just hoped he'd answer.

Raidou was on his way home when he received the call, bringing in a few groceries. Upon hearing the little phone go off in his pocket he quickly halted and, through some odd feat of juggling, was able to retrieve the phone from his pocket with both bags now in one arm. He flipped it open with his thumb, a bright smile adorning his lips when he eyed the caller ID. He answered without hesitation. "Narumi-san?"

"Ah, Raidou-chan! Good, you're home. How are you?" Narumi's voice sounded hurried, and a bit too cordial for his usual self... He wasn't alone. This alone brought out the boys curiosity. He tucked the phone against one ear, tilting his head to the side to hold it in place. Carefully balancing the bags in his arms he shifted them to hold the weight properly and continued on his way. "I'm fine. Just getting supplies." Ever polite. It was one thing about the boy Narumi could always count on. "What can I do for you today?"

"It's kind of hard to explain over the phone, but I need your... expertise, so to speak. Could you meet me at the security gate in front of Kasumidai?"

"Kasumidai...The army base at the edge of the city?"

"Yeah, I got a call from an old acquaintance for a case there. It's not exactly something I can handle, but I can't turn these guys down. I'll pay you, of course." As Narumi spoke he sounded increasingly apologetic, as if he was feeling the guilt of dragging the boy into the military's mess. He had mentioned before how dangerous dealings with them could be, especially when it came to a security issue. And yet the summoner seemed willing enough. If it was to do with demons his duty was to investigate. That, and he couldn't deny that he wanted to see the detective again. He agreed easily. "Give me one hour to meet you. I'll change into my uniform and gather my gear."

The relief in Narumi's voice was all too apparent as he spoke. "Thanks, kid. I'll meet you at the security gate at the east side of the Kasumidai. Do you know the way?"

"There's a bus route that drops off close to there."

"Okay, I'll wait for you by the gate. See you soon?"

Raidou couldn't help nor fight the smile that spread over his lips. He didn't know how this man could make him smile like that, but he knew he liked it. "Yes. I'll be there soon." The phone call disconnected after that, Raidou having to juggle his bags and phone as he made his way into his apartment building and to his little home. He had much to do in an hour.

The bus would only go as far as the far corner of the base, for security reasons, he was told. Active or not, there was apparently a lot of top secret information and supplies kept within the many hangar warehouses on the premises. At the East gate was Narumi, smoking a cigarette as he waited for the boy to arrive, so lost in thought that he didn't even hear his footsteps approaching.

"Narumi-san~!" He heard a familiar voice call and looked up. Coming through the gate was Raidou, a delicate smile on his lips... until he was suddenly stopped by a security guard. The man pulled the boy back roughly, effectively stopping him mid-step. "Sorry kid, authorized personnel only." The guard stated, his voice low and gravelly, eyes on the boy's sword. The sight of that seemed to put him on edge, his hand going for his gun. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The summoner went from happy to serious in a heartbeat, having to fight the urge to push the man away. But no, doing something like that would result in hostility, something he could not afford at this moment. Instead, he decided to try and reason with the man, speaking quietly, firm. "I've been asked here on an important assignment."

"You're in a school uniform." The man countered, still in a defensive stance. "The military doesn't just bring in students. Now I'll ask again; leave, before I have you arrested for trespassing."

The guard got a tap on the shoulder, which put him on edge even more, but he softened when he saw it was Narumi and not some armed criminal. "The kid's with me, Hyuga. He's my consultant."

"Consultant? Big name detective's consult teenagers now?"

Narumi rounded the two of them, standing shoulder to shoulder with Raidou, an arm draped around his neck. "Don't let his appearance fool you; this kid is as sharp as a tack and is the perfect consult for the case!"

His arm finally released, Raidou's eyes flicked briefly toward his mentors before resting back on the soldier's. His face may have been blank, but his eyes were smiling bright. The detective thought that highly of him? It was flattering to hear. The guard relented and returned to the gate, swiping his keycard to open the gate. "Sadakichi has been waiting for you." He stated bluntly. Clearly this guard wasn't all that impressed with his superior's choice of hired help.

Narumi turned to Raidou with a wry grin. "Sorry about that, kid. Let's go."

Easy to forgive and forget, at least when it came to Narumi, Raidou offered a slight smile and followed him inside the active half of the base.

Back at the security deck Sadakichi waited, his face critical, as it always was when it came to business. He spotted Raidou along with Narumi and looked to have the same reaction that the guard had. Before he could criticize the boy, the detective spoke. "Sadakichi, Kuzunoha Raidou, Devil Summoner."

Sadakichi raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "This boy, he's with the Yatagarasu?"

"I am," the boy spoke up, bowing slightly in a show of respect. Some, at least. Not as much as he usually would meeting a new person. He could already tell he didn't like this man much; he was rude and questioned Narumi's judgment. He didn't like that. Not at all. Sadakichi ignore this, or perhaps he didn't notice. The soldier turned on heel and headed back inside. "If that is the case, then I will ask you to review the footage. Has Narumi given you any information?"

"None so far," he replied, the two of them following the soldier. "Good." He retorted, motioning for them to follow. Narumi simply rolled his eyes, leaning in close to whisper into the boy's ear. "Don't mind him. He's miffed that a student is going to solve his problems he can't handle." Their eyes met briefly, Raidou smiled just a touch in understanding, but he said nothing. He'd let this play out and help as best he could.

Inside the crowded and dim control room was Sadakichi alone, the other soldiers dismissed for the time being. The soldier pulled up the video footage, waving Raidou over to have a look. "If what we suspect is true, then this should be your expertise, young man." He stated flatly. Strange that Sadakichi would know of the Yatagarasu, but then again his job was security and intelligence. That, and from what Narumi had learned previously, the military themselves once employed Devil Summoners and even had several among their ranks in secret.

The tape was rewound and played again, showing the same scene as before with the boxes being obliterated. Eyes glued to the screen, Raidou blinked in surprise to what he'd just witnessed. What had he just seen? Whatever it was, it was fast. "Play it again." he requested, moving closer to the screen. Sadakichi hit the rewind button, then another, the word "loop" appearing on the corner of the screen. The same ten of film replayed over and over. "What do you see?"

The boy watched carefully, waiting for the exact moment. Again, the boxes were struck by and unseen force. But wait, there was something... Just a blur but something. "Can you slow the video down?"

Sadakichi did as requested; a few more button taps and the video was running frame by frame, each one taking a few seconds to pass. And that was when he caught something. Just as the boxes were hit there was a small, brownish blur. "Once more. Slower please." The man standing over him arched a thin brow, slowing the tape even further, waiting for more requests. "That!" the boy suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the area on the screen where the disturbance was spotted.

The tape was paused at that exact frame, a figure there for only a fracture of a second before disappearing. But it wasn't just one... there were several on the screen. Narumi had to lean closer to spot them, and even then he couldn't believe his eyes. "What are they?"

"Oberion," The summoner replied rather mechanically, staring straight at the little group. He straightened himself, eyes flicking to the side to look at his friend sideways. "Narumi-san... Can you see?" But when he said this... it was like he'd done a 180. Innocence and child-like curiosity were in his voice, eyes questioning. Narumi squint at the monitor, but try as he might the figures were little more than a fuzzy blur. "Like I'm looking through beer goggles... But that's about it. Why? Is it clear to you?"

The teenager nodded slowly, blue-grey eyes turning back towards the screen once more. "This demon is known as Oberion," he began to explain, finger extended to the glass once more. It drew an invisible circle around what Narumi was seeing, if only somewhat, to point it out. "Low-level but they pack a punch. Playful usual, but by the looks of things they've taken the game too far. And these are..." He trailed off, going quiet as he lost himself in thought.

A voice interrupted his musings, loud and demanding. "Can you or can you not stop them?" Sadakichi was beginning to get edgy, Narumi could tell. Was bringing a summoner in rubbing him the wrong way? "They are destroying military property nightly."

The two turned to face the militant, Raidou dragged from his musings and slightly put off. He kept his manners, however, and nodded once. "They're fast, but not fast enough to outrun a bullet."

"I don't know what bullets you're using..." Sadakichi crossed his arms, looking sour. "But none of our artillery can shoot something we can't see without blasting a hole in the place."

"That's because you can't see them," he replied, sharp as ever. "And you're not using silver."

"Silver is not a viable metal for weaponry. It is too brittle."

"So you say..." The boy muttered, turning back to the screen, flashing the detective a little glance as if to say 'he's all yours'. Narumi took the opportunity and ran with it. "Well, Sadakichi, Raidou here can take care of your little infestation. What say?"

The militant looked less than pleased, but obliged the man all the same. "Fine, then I'll allow him in the facility overnight, but I expect results."

Narumi nodded, throwing a wink at Raidou. "You'll get them, trust me."

Their eyes met briefly, Narumi receiving a tiny, barely there yet kind smile, eyes lighting up. It was true what Gouto had once said; Eyes like a dame. Weapons, truly, but beautiful enough that one able to appreciate them really wouldn't mind all that much. It gave Narumi butterflies without much effort at all. This kid was dangerous in multiple ways.

Before the two could get any more ambiguously lovey-dovey, a keycard was handed to Raidou, and forcefully at that. "This card will allow you in the gate after hours... But just the one." His eyes went to Narumi, making his statement clear. "Find what's destroying our cargo and be rid of it."

Their eyes met, Raidou nodding once, blue-grey orbs shining with resolve as he took the card in hand. He didn't like that he was preforming a mission for this man, but it had been per Narumi's request. So in some round-a-bout way, it was Narumi who gave the order. He could live with that. "Yes sir."

After a short briefing of where the ins and outs of the facility were, as well as a quick tour of how to get to the cargo holds, the men were escorted off the property.

Raidou was to return that night before the gates were closed for curfew at 9 pm. The duo said their goodbyes to Sadakichi, who muttered something about latent homosexuality under his breath as he turned to leave. It took all Narumi had in him not to spin back around and confront the man on it. But in the end he knew it would do him no good... Didn't mean it didn't get the gears turning in his head over the current situation, however. And Raidou, of course, was blissfully unaware of his mentor's warring thoughts and conflicting emotions as they walked down the street away from the base.

There was still much time to kill before Raidou was to report for patrol, and with Gouto still nowhere to be found (presumably left back at base), the two of them were once again alone.

This did little to calm Narumi's nerves, or settle his own thoughts. When he called Raidou for assistance he hadn't taken into consideration that he had to face the source of his worry head-on. As soon as they were alone, his stomach seemed to bunch up into a bundle of jitters. It was damn near infuriating how he was beginning to lose his oh-so esteemed suaveness just from the prospect of being alone with Raidou. He had to remind himself that while Raidou may be a teenager, he was certainly wasn't, and had no real reason to be so balled up about it. Yes, there was that voice that told him the real reason why, but he was refusing to give it any audience in the forefront of his mind.

They walked in silence down the road from the base towards the main part of town, where Narumi knew they could at least kill some time shopping or grabbing a bite to eat. In fact, getting some grub sounded like a fine idea...

"Have you eaten today, Raidou?" The detective began, trying his damnedest to sound sure of himself; proud and confident like he always was... He was having a hard time of it thanks to the whirlwind of thoughts that was his mind at that moment.

And when those pretty, brightly colored eyes were upon his it did even less for his sanity. He could have sworn, with much discomfort, that his heart had skipped a beat. And when the boy spoke- "Just breakfast at six this morning." -it did even less for the turbulent emotions whirling in his cranium.

Green light. "Do you want to get some food before it gets too late? I know a little ramen stand not far from here..." Ramen, less intimate than a tiny café where they'd crowd together at the table, but perhaps that was in their best interest.

Either way, the small smile on the teen's face was worth it. Well worth it. He nodded his agreement happily. With that, the two of them headed down the steadily crowding streets into the main area of Kasumidai.

The ramen shop that Narumi spoke of was nestled just off a busy street corner, sitting in an alley between a convenience store and an office building. One would have to congratulate the owner on his choice of location, as it was in prime territory for many busy white-collars to dine at before heading towards home.

Narumi pulled back the curtain and was given the standard welcome from the chef behind the wooden counter. Strange, there was rarely a place where Narumi wasn't greeted by name. Then again, Kasumidai was a place the detective openly avoided, as Raidou found out from the conversations previous. This also meant the man didn't have a tab there, which was likely a good thing. "Have a seat." He invited Raidou to sit at the bench next to him, plucking a small paper menu from the basket on the table. It was just a more plainly written version of the array that was on the display board behind the chef, but it was easier to see since it wasn't obscured by steam.

A charming little place, and somehow familiar of home, if only in some small measure.

Raidou took comfort in that.

The two got settled on the stools and looked over their menus. Everything here looked wonderful to the teenage boy who had been sorely missing the food from his village since coming to the big city. It was more of a joy than he could properly express with his level of social ineptitude.

Finally, after a rather long deliberation, he made his choice and pointed it out to his friend. Narumi nodded, waving to the old man hunched over the noodle pot. "A bowl of beef ramen, and chicken for this guy." He glanced to Raidou with a small smile as the man hollered back the confirmed order and set to making their meals. It really had been a while since he had seen him. Even if it was only a few days, it felt like much longer. "So how have you been?"

Raidou reached over to a nearby cup of chopsticks, pulling out one for himself and handed another to his companion. "Working, mostly," he replied, breaking the conjoined sticks apart and rubbing off the little splinters before setting them to the side. Narumi followed suit, his eyes transfixed on those slender hands of his. "Let me rephrase that; aside from work, how have you been?" Because of course the boy would default to speaking of his duties over his own well-being.

The tiniest of laughs escaped the boy's lips in the form of a smiling exhale. The grin remained, even when he quieted down and rested his chin on folded hands. "I've been fine. Nothing out of the ordinary, though Gouto has been away giving his report. It's... a little lonely in the apartment without him."

"I would suspect you'd breathe a little easier without your little Jiminy Cricket following you around." Or at least Narumi would. Their eyes met once again, Raidou looking just a touch confused. Clearly he didn't get the reference. "Erm, you know, little creature on your shoulder telling you what's right and wrong?" He gestured to his shoulder as if something small was sitting upon it. "From Pinocchio?" Grey-blue eyes blinked slowly, pale head shaking slowly soon after. Narumi sighed, "You really didn't have a childhood, did you?" He commented morosely.

"I did." Just not the same as his.

Narumi ran his fingers through his hair, sighing softly. "Never mind. So Gouto's been away this whole time? That's surprising." Considering the cat seemed to keep a particularly tight leash on Raidou when he was present. No wonder the boy was so stiff... "He leaves to report twice a month. He says it also builds his confidence in me seeing my progress in his absence." Spoken like a true servant of a higher cause. Narumi forced himself not to roll his eyes. "Well, I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you're helping in a big case like this." Even if he was rather embittered by Sadakichi's reaction to the boy. Here's hoping he'd change his tune once he saw how well Raidou worked.

"He was rude." A sudden statement out of nowhere after a long moment of silence. Raidou wasn't looking at him anymore. He was looking off at the goings on the in the kitchen, seemingly fascinated with the preparation of their food. Strange interest, this boy had.

Narumi snickered at the comment, "Who? Sadakichi?" To hear the boy actually insulting someone was completely out of left field and admittedly hilarious to the detective. "Yeah, he's kind of an ass, but he's not so bad when he gets to know you better. You know, the guilty till proven innocent type." Narumi recalled his first run-in with the soldier; he had been coerced into helping him out of a bind and it nearly cost him his job as a detective in the force right out. It worked out in the end; he was compensated, and given Sadakichi's rank in security, it made his current career choice all the easier when it came to gathering intelligence.

"I see." Raidou let it go, not wanting to overstep his bounds. A hand clapped him on the back. Narumi's, naturally. "Relax, he's not going to hound you for working. He won't even be there." A small twitch and an awkward smile later Raidou loosened up a little, if only for Narumi's sake. "How will this mission work exactly, Narumi-san?"

Narumi folded his arms in front of him, closing his eyes as he thought. "From what I've learned, the creature seems to strike only at a certain time." He pulled out a small pad of paper from his vest pocket, notes scribbled all over the yellowing pages. "First at 2:22 in the morning, and the second at 3:33... So if it's following a pattern, it would come at..." The detective looked to the young summoner, expecting him to know the answer. The boy nodded softly, offering a kind smile towards his mentor. "I'll be skipping school tomorrow, I take it."

"Likely." Narumi winked. "But once that 4:44 timeslot rolls around, the demon rolls in, you take him out, and voila!" He snapped his fingers and waved his hand above his head. "We go home and have ourselves a drink!"

"Sounds too easy..." Raidou muttered, thoughtful. That, and finally seeming interested in voicing his concerns with the man. It was like they had someone jumped another hurdle. "Those Oberion were faster than normal..."

"Hm?" Narumi lowered his arms and stared at his young apprentice. Apprentice? He liked the sound of that. "You've run into them before?"

"Plenty of times. They aren't uncommon. They don't hide well, either."

Narumi rested his chin into his hand, thinking out loud. "How is it that they're able to escape trained snipers then?"

"They can't be caught if they can't be seen in the first place. Those men don't have the training I have..." Oh, that sounded a little boastful, Raidou realized. He lowered his eyes immediately, feeling just a tad guilty. But instead of the negative reaction usually garnered by the egotistical comment, Narumi just clapped him on the back with a chuckle. "And that's precisely why I called you in, kid."

Such praise... The boy feared he'd never get used to it. "Narumi-san..."

"Orders' up!" Suddenly two large bowls of ramen were thrust in front of the patrons, steaming hot and ready to eat. Narumi looked absolutely elated. "Ah, man, this looks good! Way better than the packaged stuff!"

Raidou's eyes lit up with the sight of the traditionally prepared meal and thanked the server with a sweet smile. He took up his chopsticks and was working on the meal before even Narumi could get a word in, slurping loudly to show his appreciation. The detective next to him watched in amazement. For someone so skinny, Raidou could certainly put the food away. Even though the answer was obvious, he had to ask. "Good?"

He took a moment to smile his thanks at the man, as well as a quick nod of affirmation before going back to the bowl of hot broth, meat and noodles like it was his first meal in a week. It was only now that Narumi realized it may have been his first decent one in said given amount of time. Raidou had mentioned before about how he was made to acquire fast food more than the traditional foods he was used to due to his budget. He also remembered the kid mentioning that it made him sick to his stomach.

Suddenly Raidou's enthused devouring made sense. A little pang of pity struck his chest, and Narumi slipped the egg from his bowl into Raidou's. He had plenty of food in his anyhow. The boy paused in his pleasured partaking to look the detective's way, eyes curious, the faintest of blushes on his cheeks. Whether the blush was due to the heat of the ramen or something else entirely, Narumi didn't know, and was trying to convince himself that he didn't want to know.

"Narumi-san..." But as always, his voice broke the awkwardness with its constant stoic sincerity. "You don't have to..."

Narumi waved it off as if it was nothing, accusing the boy with his chopsticks. "Hey, you need the protein. Eat up!" And that was all he would say on the matter, going back to his own bowl. Raidou continued to stare, looking more flattered than confused now. Could it be possible that his blush deepened? After a moment more he simply smiled and nodded his thanks to Narumi, turning back to his meal and continuing to eat, starting with the egg slices he was given.

The two continued to eat their meals in a comfortable silence, Narumi only speaking to order another helping of ramen. He nudged Raidou, asking if he wanted some as well. Raidou politely refused, thankful for the lovely meal. Instead, he sat back and talked with his companion, letting him lead the conversation as always. Narumi was good at that; being social. Something Raidou was not. It was better this way. Less awkward pauses. Though recently the conversation was being steered back towards Raidou more often than not, Narumi apparently trying to get the boy to open up more about himself. It was a rough trail, but the detective seemed determined to break new ground on certain topics.

After a second bowl Narumi paid the owner and bid him farewell, pleasantly full and pleased by the heat in his belly. "Ah, nothing like hot soup to keep you cool on a summer day!"

"Strange how that works, isn't it?" Raidou spoke up, walking beside him as they strolled casually around the district. They had a few more hours before nightfall. All the better to talk more. The sky had begun to cloud over as they ate, now looking ominous and threatening rain as they strolled through the streets of Kasumidai. "What do you want to do until nine?" The detective queried as they walked side by side, shoulders almost touching.

"I'll follow you," Raidou replied, eyes ever sharp as they wandered about, looking at all the new and interesting things this side of the city had to offer.

Fair enough; Narumi took a turn towards a small shopping strip that was lined with little boutiques and souvenir stalls. Typical tourist trap, but it was clearing out now that the weather was beginning to look bad. "How about we check out some of the trinket stalls?" He pointed to one of the vendors selling charms and little bits of jewelry to the passersby. Raidou himself had never had much of an interest in personal items, but the idea of looking around the open air mall with Narumi sounded much more appealing. He smiled warmly, nodding his agreement.

The two spent their time perusing the wares of the many street peddlers appealing to the foreign crowd. But tourist trap or no, they two seemed to be having a good time together. No money was spent, but that didn't mean they didn't have a good time. Occasionally Narumi would stop to take a closer look at the items on display, plucking masks off the rack and trying them on, showing off to Raidou. They almost stopped at the fortune teller, but Narumi knew better than to trust a street level psychic with reading his future. Besides, a couple of teenagers seemed really intent on finding out more about their wedding from the old woman.

It was an interesting sight, the spectacle they were making. Raidou noticed it from the next stall over. The boy was all little cocky smirks, his arm around the female, who was very pretty if not a little overly made up.

Still, their interactions were interesting. Little touches, hands running lightly over hands, shoulders, waists, knees. It confused and intrigued Raidou. Was this how people his age were supposed to act? With lovers, perhaps. He had none to speak of, no one to smile at him like that, wrap their arms around him and enjoy little pointless things with him.

No. He did have that, didn't he? His detective friend did all of that and more. Thinking of it like that, Raidou smiled gently to himself.

Then he saw the two leave, cheerful and bright, merrily swinging their joined hands back and forth. Then the girl stopped briefly, pulling the boy in turn to stop, and bounced up on her toes to kiss his cheek, giggling. The summoner blinked in surprise. Something like that in public... He watched the two leave, curious as ever and contemplative.

"Jealous?" And just as he had seen the couple do just moments ago, an arm was draped around his shoulder, Narumi suddenly just inches from his face. "She's a cutie, but too much make-up. You need a more natural girl, Raidou-chan~!" He sniggered, teasing the pale boy.

Effectively jolted from his musings Raidou twitched, facing Narumi with a shy expression. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed how close the man was. He swallowed, choosing his words as best he could under that gaze. "I'm not interested in the girl..."

"The guy's got funny teeth." Narumi commented, as if Raidou's statement meant he was ogling the boy instead. "I didn't notice..." he said almost passively. So the boy wasn't interested in either of them? What gave?

"Well, don't worry... You'll find someone like that eventually." Then an idea came to him, a bit of a test. "Maybe that person is right under your nose." He winked, once again terribly close to the boy.

Such an idea. Raidou stared up at the taller man, eyes taking on a sort of peace the longer they were gazing at his friend's caramel colored eyes. But once again, his socially retarded mouth had to ruin it. "I can't have someone like that..."

It was Narumi who broke the gaze, his previous theories realized. He shook his head, hand falling from Raidou's shoulder. "Yeah, I get it, Jiminy Cricket says no, right?" Meaning Gouto. Getting a distinct feeling he'd just messed up Raidou sought to at least explain. It would seem that he was far more intuitive than Narumi. "It isn't him. It's a rule of my clan."

The man shrugged, smiling still even though his brain was calling him a dribbling idiot. "Gotta stay true to your cause, I guess. Don't sweat it kid." And even as he said this, something inside his heart sank, like it was slowly and unwillingly giving up the idea of forming anything beyond friendship with Raidou. It was for the best, he would tell himself, but why did he feel suddenly saddened by it at the same time?

This feeling continued as the two began walking again, both so lost in their own thoughts by then that they hardly noticed the oncoming promise of rain.

Raidou himself couldn't shake the feeling that he'd upset the detective, or that he regretted saying anything at all. Because the relationship he'd watched, those two young people smiling and laughing with each other, those touches and interactions... Didn't he want something like that? Didn't he already have something close? Perhaps this was why Gouto wanted Raidou to have as little contact with Narumi as possible. He could see this developing even before he could. Shameful that he'd been so inattentive.

Guided on this train of thought, Raidou was lead back to that couple. They had walked about, holding hands, and had looked so happy. The way they were acting, was he not already acting the same with someone? So should he have been holding hands? Was that what kids his age did with people they were close like that with?

He didn't know, but he wanted to find out. He thought this as their hands suddenly rushed together, his and the detectives. Narumi nearly tripped over his own loafers, his eyes immediately darting for Raidou. Raidou was holding his hand, voluntarily. A choir gathered in the forefront of his mind ready to sing the praises, but was it an accident? Was the crowd freaking him out? Or... "Are you all right, kid?" He asked, his own voice sounding so uncertain it was almost foreign to him.

The two slowed to a stop, Raidou's head turning up to meet his gaze.

The sudden shower of rain pouring down instantly spoiled it.

"Shit!" Narumi cursed, his grip tightening on the boy's hand as he dashed towards the nearest awning, Raidou in tow. It was narrow, barely room for one person, let alone two full grown men. To keep them both dry, Narumi found himself pulling Raidou closer to him, arm around his shoulder, eyes to the sky as the rain fell. "Damn... That came out of nowhere!" He commented, not even seeing what kind of position they were in now.

But Raidou did. Gods, he did. And with the thoughts mulling around in his innocent brain he'd no idea what to make of it. Bodies close, his own lithe frame pressed against the older mans, a strong arm around him, holding him close. He found himself staring up at those caramel colored eyes with intrigue. Was this... Narumi accepting his proposal? Had he gotten ideas from the young couple as well?

Raidou found himself thinking back on them as well in his mental search of what should be done next. She'd kissed him, hadn't she? That girl kissed the boys cheek. Was that what he was meant to do?

His heart pounded with the idea, pouring heated blood to his white cheeks. That must have been what one does when they like a person. He could see no flaw in that logic, and so he followed it. He swallowed a nervous flutter of butterflies and slowly, carefully he raised his body, arching his neck slightly and moving to stand on tip-toes to press those feather-soft plump lips to the detective's cheek.

"I guess we should go-" Narumi turned to face the boy huddled so near him, only to find lips on his, cutting his statement short. Soft, plump, and just a little stiff... Raidou was... warm, close, his eyes closed at first, long lashes against pale cheeks, until he too must've realized what he had done.

His heart stopped for a split second before Narumi stumbled back into the rain, staring at his companion with the back of his hand pressed against his lips. _Did the kid seriously just kiss me? Is this... seriously happening?_ Pulse racing, he stared at the boy as the rain soaked his clothing through, eyes glued to Raidou's shocked expression. But Raidou... He just stood there, his face slowly changing its expression to the man's reaction. At first he was surprised, shy, nervous. But as they continued to stare at each other that innocent light in the boys eyes faded into a shamed embarrassment. Eyes lowered slowly, expression turning solemn. He looked like Narumi had just slapped him, head just slightly lowered almost submissively, bright eyes looking anywhere but at his own.

Raidou had messed up. He knew that now.

A moment of tense silence passed between them, Narumi completely ignoring the fact that he was standing in the warm summer rain in favor of calming his racing mind and heart. The expression his friend wore looked so hurt, yet he knew... somehow, this was for the best. Whatever he was feeling, whatever Raidou _thought_ he was feeling, he couldn't let it go on. _This is for the best..._

Narumi stepped toward him again, clapping a hand on his shoulder and giving it a tight squeeze. "Let's catch a cab back to base... I'm sure Sadakichi will let you wait in the personnel lounge until it's time." He muttered, avoiding looking directly at the young boy for his own face was flushed red.

That hurt. It hurt a lot. It was like Narumi was dismissing him. But at least he knew his feelings on the matter. He supposed he was just thankful he didn't get yelled at. He replied with only a single nod, letting the man lead him back towards the base, silent for the remainder of their time together.

The cab dropped them at the gate, Raidou climbing out and ready to begin his own preparations for the night ahead. Inside the vehicle, Narumi leaned over the seat next to him, calling out before the boy had a chance to shut the door and end their outing. "Do you want me to stay until you're finished?"

The boy turned back to gaze at Narumi over his shoulder and shook his head softly. Somehow Narumi expected this, "Then... Give me a call when you're done, and I'll come get you." Come get him? But wasn't he upset? Raidou didn't understand, but he thought better than to question it. Instead he offered a nervous smile, almost as if he was asking his forgiveness. Yet Narumi didn't smile in return. Instead he averted his gaze, pulling back into his proper seat. "Then, I'll see you in the morning, kid." Narumi reached for the door and shut it, facing forward, not sparing a single glance for the boy.

The innocent smile was lost, Raidou nodding before turning to walk into the base, looking like he'd been dumped.

He didn't get far after the cab pulled away, a familiar deep voice only he could hear calling from off to his side, the feline it belonged to showing seconds later. "There you are, Raidou." Gouto's voice echoed around him in the rain. "Your note said you'd be at the base, but you weren't here when I-." He paused once he saw Raidou's expression, suddenly concerned. "What's the matter?"

His face went from solemn to stone in and instant when Gouto addressed his demeanor, shaking his head softly. "It's nothing important. Good to have you back again, Gouto."

"...Right. Well, brief me on the details, and we'll get started with the case." Though Gouto knew that something had occurred, and he had a feeling it had something to do with the other party in the cab. Raidou, though he refused to speak of the goings on between himself and the detective or his current emotional state, did fill the cat in on the mission at hand while they walked.

What he didn't see as Narumi ordered the driver to his destination was that Narumi's hand didn't once leave the spot where Raidou sat, feeling the warmth on the seat as he recalled the warmth the boy bestowed upon his lips.

He needed a drink. Or ten.


End file.
